Running News Daily

Nike Continues Shuffle of Pro Coaches

Pete Julian’s Union Athletics Club will move to Colorado. 

In the latest move by Nike to reconfigure its pro running teams, Pete Julian’s Union Athletics Club will move from Oregon to Colorado, sources tell Runner’s World. 

This move comes two weeks after it was announced that Mike Smith would leave his post at Northern Arizona University in June 2025 to start a Nike pro group. 

Julian, reached by text by Runner’s World, did not deny the team was making the move but said he was unable to comment. Media relations representatives at Nike acknowledged questions from Runner’s World on July 19 and again on August 12, but they did not reply with any further information about the group’s move. 

UAC’s 10 current athletes compete at a range of events. They include Raevyn Rogers, the 2021 Olympic bronze medalist in the 800 meters, and Sinclaire Johnson, the 2022 U.S. champion in the 1500 meters. Suguro Osako, a marathoner from Japan, is also listed on the roster; he finished 13th at the Olympics in Paris in 2:09:25. 

It is unclear if all the athletes will go to Colorado with Julian. A message to Rogers via social media was not immediately returned. Rogers has strong ties to Oregon; she went to the University of Oregon and won five individual NCAA titles there. Her image graces the tower at Hayward Field in Eugene, and she is not known to have spent much time training at altitude, if any. 

Depending on where in Colorado the group lands, athletes could be training at at least 5,200 feet of elevation. Altitude training is increasingly seen as essential for elite distance runners. Boulder, Colorado, which has long been a mecca for distance athletes, is already crowded with pros: On Athletics Club has a sizable pro group there, as does Team Boss, a group of elite distance runners anchored by steeplechaser Emma Coburn, who runs for New Balance. 

Coaching and athlete turnover is common after the Olympic Games. Most pro athletes have contracts that take them through the end of the Olympic year, and some have an option in their contracts that allows a sponsor to sign them for an additional year. 

Several high profile athletes have left the UAC in recent years. Jessica Hull returned to her native Australia and trains under her father; she won a silver medal in Paris. Donavan Brazier had great success under Julian in 2019, but LetsRun reported he left the UAC in 2024 after undergoing a fourth surgery on his left foot and lower leg. Fan favorite Craig Engels is now living in California and training under his college coach, Ryan Vanhoy. 

Julian’s wife, Colleen Glyde Julian, is a professor of biomedical informatics at the University of Colorado’s medical school in Aurora, Colorado. He has long commuted to Portland, Oregon, from Denver several times each week for athlete workouts in Beaverton. 

Noah Lyles breaks U.S. Olympic Trials 200m record

The second (and final) weekend of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, held at Hayward Field in Oregon, continued to be electrifying, with heart-stopping finishes and records broken.

On Saturday night, six-time world champion Noah Lyles kept his Olympic sprint double dreams alive by blazing through the 200m in 19.53 seconds—the fastest time in the world this year, adding to his 100m win from last weekend. Lyles wasn’t the only runner in contention for first place, only overtaking Kenny Bednarek in the final meters to secure the win. Erriyon Knighton finished third to make his second Olympic team; he received a no-fault violation from USADA in early June, after testing positive for a metabolite of trenbolone during an out-of-competition drug test in March, allowing him to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials this week.

Lyles’s performance broke Michael Johnson’s long-standing U.S. Olympic Trials record of 19.66, set in 1996. Lyles will be hoping for redemption in Paris after a third-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, his only loss in the 200m at a major meet. “You claim you’re gonna go out there and win four medals, so the goal had to be win the 100m and 200m,” Lyles told media post-race.“Job is accomplished. I’m right where I need to be.

Kelati conquers the 10,000m

Weini Kelati secured her spot for the Paris Olympics by winning the women’s 10,000m in a thrilling, extremely close race on Saturday. Kelati, who was born in Eritrea but defected to the U.S. a decade ago to pursue a running career, showcased her strength and determination in a tight race that saw multiple lead changes in the final laps.

Kelati crossed the finish line first in 31:41.07, narrowly beating Parker Valby and Karissa Schweizer, who finished in 31:41.553 and 31:41.557 respectively. While Kelati has already run the Olympic standard of 31:40:00 and has clinched her place on the team, Valby and Schweizer will have to hope their performances were enough to get them to the Olympics through World Athletics rankings, a decision that won’t be finalized until June 7th.

Richardson doesn’t make the 200m cut

Sha’Carri Richardson’s bid for a sprint double in Paris ended with a fourth-place finish in the women’s 200m. Despite a strong start, Richardson was unable to maintain her speed in the final stretch, finishing behind Gabby Thomas, Brittany Brown and McKenzie Long.

Thomas, a bronze medalist in Tokyo and silver medalist at last year’s world championships in Budapest, crossed the line in 21.81 seconds. Richardson, secured her place in the 100m for the Olympics last weekend, when she won the women’s final in a new world-leading time of 10.71 seconds. In 2021, Richardson also won the 100m at the U.S. Olympic Trials, but tested positive for marijuana shortly after and was not allowed to compete; she’ll now make her much anticipated Olympic debut exclusively in the 100m, where she remains a favorite for gold.

The 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials has seen a giant spike in viewership, with their largest audience in 12 years

The first four days of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., have been nothing short of spectacular. We’ve witnessed triumph, world-record performances, as well as heartbreak, with TV ratings reflecting the excitement.

According to NBC, Sunday’s 100m final attracted an audience of 5.2 million people who tuned in to watch Noah Lylescompete against Fred Kerley and Christian Coleman.

Lyles equalled his personal best of 9.83 seconds to win the men’s 100m at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. Photo: Kevin Morris

In a country with a population of 330 million people, 1.5 per cent of the viewership might not seem significant. However, this race was the most-watched track and field event in the U.S. since the Olympic Trials for London 2012. This bodes well for NBC, with the Paris Olympics (athletics portion beginning on Aug. 1) being the pinnacle of the track and field season later this summer.

Lyles won the 100m final with a personal best time of 9.83 seconds, earning his first U.S. men’s 100m outdoor title and qualifying for his first Olympics in the 100m event. Olympic 200m silver medallist Kenny Bednarek finished second with a personal best of 9.87 seconds. The 2022 world champion, Kerley, edged out Coleman to secure his spot on his second consecutive Olympic team, placing third in 9.88 seconds.

How to Run in the Heat Like the Pros

Over the past decade, training for the heat has gone from a nice-to-have to an absolute necessity for top runners. Professor Chris Minson is attempting to perfect the science.

After a few pleasant hours sitting in the sun watching the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon last month, I headed down into the bowels of Hayward Field for a grueling test for running in the heat. Chris Minson, a professor of human physiology at the University of Oregon, had invited me to try the heat adaptation protocol he has developed for elite athletes from the university and from local pro teams like the Bowerman Track Club. I’ve written about Minson’s research several times, so experiencing the protocol first-hand seemed like a good idea… at the time.

Heat is a big deal in sports these days, and it’s only getting bigger. In recent years we’ve had major events like the world track and field championships in insanely hot places, like Qatar, where the marathons had to be started at midnight. But summertime in Eugene (where the Olympic Track Trials will take place later this month) and Paris (where the Olympics will be held) can also be sizzling. Over the past decade, heat preparation has gone from a nice-to-have to an absolute necessity for top athletes. The details of how to prepare remain more art than science, though, so I was interested to see how Minson put theory into practice.

Back in the 1920s and 1930s, scientists developed the first heat adaptation protocols for workers in South Africa’s sweltering gold mines. The gold standard for heat adaptation evolved from that work: spend at least an hour a day exercising in hot conditions, and after 10 to 14 days you’ll see a bunch of physiological changes. Your core temperature will be lower, your blood volume will be higher, you’ll begin sweating and dilating your blood vessels at a lower temperature threshold, you’ll sweat more, and so on. Put it all together and you’ll be able to stay cooler and run faster in hot conditions.

In fact, there’s even evidence that this type of heat adaptation can make you faster in moderate weather, perhaps as a result of the extra blood plasma. In the lead-up to the 2008 Olympics, Minson was working with American marathoner Dathan Ritzenhein, helping him prepare for the expected hot conditions in Beijing. But he started to worry about what would happen if it wasn’t hot: would all the heat training actually make Ritzenhein slower? Minson and his colleagues ran a study to find out; the results, which they published in 2010, suggested that heat adaptation helps even in cool conditions. That’s the study that really kicked interest in heat training into higher gear.

The problem with the classic approach, though, is that training for an hour in hot, muggy conditions is exhausting. If you’re trying to do a hard workout, you won’t be able to hit the splits you want. If you’re trying to do an easy run, it’s going to take more out of you than it usually does, potentially compromising your next hard workout or raising your risk of overtraining. So how do you get the benefits of heat adaptation without tanking the rest of your training plan?

Minson’s Exercise & Environmental Physiology Lab at the University of Oregon, which he co-runs with fellow physiologist John Halliwill, is located in the Bowerman Sports Science Center, a state-of-the-art facility located under the northwest grandstand of Hayward Field. The key piece of equipment, for my purposes, is an environmental chamber that can take you down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit or up to 22,000 feet of simulated altitude, deliver simulated solar radiation, or blast you with wind. For my heat run, Minson set the dials to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and 40 percent humidity.

Earlier that day, Minson had given me a thermometer pill to swallow, which would enable him to wirelessly track my core temperature as the run progressed. “I’ll need that back,” he warned me, poker-faced. Fortunately, he was joking.

Before I entered the chamber, I peed in a cup so that Minson could check my urine-specific gravity, the ratio of how dense your urine is compared to water. I clocked in at 1.025, marginally above Minson’s threshold of 1.024 for mild dehydration. I blame it on having spent a few hours sitting in the sun watching the track meet. Then he checked my weight, so that he’d be able to figure out how much I sweated during the test.

When I stepped into the chamber, wearing nothing but shorts and running shoes, I could feel the blast of heat, but it wasn’t too oppressive—like a really hot day at the beach but under an umbrella. I started with a five-minute warm-up at a slow pace, gradually ramping up until I hit 7:30 mile pace. Then the formal protocol started: 30 minutes at that pace.

The pace was self-chosen; Minson refused to tell me the pace I “should” run. The goal was to settle in at an effort that I could comfortably maintain for half-an-hour, and that would get me hot enough to trigger adaptations—a core temperature of about 101 degrees Fahrenheit is thought to be about right—without overshooting and roasting myself. Most of the elite runners he works with end up choosing paces between 7:00 and 8:00 per mile. I slotted myself in the middle of that range—which, let’s be honest, was a dumb thing to do for an aging non-elite runner.

Still, the running itself felt easy to me. Every five minutes or so, Minson had me rate my perceived effort on the Borg scale, which runs from 6 to 20, and also rate how hot I felt. For this, he used his own 0 to 10 thermal scale.

I started out at the effort of 10 (“very light”) and thermal sensation of 3 (“warm”). After 15 minutes, my effort had crept up to 12 (“somewhat hard”), but my thermal sensation was still 3. By this point I was sweating up a storm, watching with interest as my splatters of sweat made a distinctly asymmetric pattern on the treadmill’s control panel. (Clearly I needed to visit the biomechanics lab down the hallway to sort out my stride asymmetries.)

In the latter part of the test, my sweat rate seemed to drop—not a great sign, since it could signal dehydration. My effort topped out at 13, but my thermal sensation crept up to 4 (“very warm”), then 5 (“slightly hot”), then 6 (“somewhat hot”). I still felt under control, though. Then the test ended, and Minson ushered me off the treadmill, into the next room, and into the hot tub, where he asked me to submerge myself up to my neck. The water was set to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and it was awful. My thermal sensation immediately spiked up to 8 (“very hot”) and then 9 (“miserably hot”).

The odd thing is that the water was basically the same temperature as I was. My core temperature had crept up to 103.2 degrees towards the end of the run, and hit 103.7 shortly afterward. The water wasn’t warming me up in any significant way, but it was robbing me of the superficial perception of coolness that I got from air currents and the evaporation of sweat. It’s a good reminder of why cooling techniques like ice towels or simply dumping water on your head can be valuable: they can dramatically change your perception of how hot you are.

Sitting in that hot tub wasn’t fun, but it’s a key tool for Minson in his efforts to help athletes adapt to heat without interfering with their normal training. It extends the period of thermal stress without trashing their legs. A half-hour easy run, even in hot conditions, isn’t that draining for a well-trained athlete. At least, it’s not supposed to be.

After I’d had a cold shower and chugged a few bottles of sports drink, Minson went over the results with me. The good news is that I hadn’t seemed very bothered by the heat. I’d sweated out 2.2 pounds of fluid, indicating a fairly high sweat rate of around 2 liters per hour. That suggests that I should already be reasonably well equipped to race in warm conditions.

The bad news, though, was that my numbers didn’t make sense. There are no “wrong” answers on a subjective scale, but mine were puzzling. As the test proceeded and my core temperature drifted over 100 degrees, I kept claiming that I felt merely 3-out-of-10 “warm.” That might mean that I’m immune to heat—but more likely, it suggests that I wasn’t properly attuned to my body’s condition. If you’re running in the heat but you’re totally oblivious to how hot you’re getting, that can be a recipe for disaster.

In fact, my subjective numbers were strikingly similar to those of an elite runner Minson has worked with—one who has struggled in the heat. Minson helped the athlete renormalize his heat perception, so that conditions he originally labeled as 3 out of 10 became a more realistic 5 or 6 out of 10.

The ability to accurately gauge how hot you are is important even in training, because those core temperature pills are about $70 a pop. Once athletes have a sense of how hot they should feel during heat adaptation runs, Minson has them judge their half-hour efforts by feel. If they start getting too hot—above 7 on the Minson Scale—they can turn a fan on in the heat chamber to avoid overheating. There’s no rigid schedule of when they do these heat runs: they fit them in around their other training and racing and travel plans.

In practice, of course, most of us don’t have access to a high-tech heat chamber and temperature-controlled hot tub. But studies in recent years have shown that you can use a variety of approaches to get your core temperature up: hot baths, saunas (Minson has one in his lab, and another in his backyard), overdressing during runs. The big-picture takeaway from Minson’s approach is that you can find ways of getting a heat stimulus without disrupting the rest of your training.

To do that, though, you need to be able to gauge when you’re getting overcooked. When I got back to my hotel room that afternoon, I realized that I was feeling wrung out, as if I’d done a long, hard workout rather than a half-hour jog. I’d missed the mark. I decided to take the next day off, and dreamed that night of Minson’s other recent research focus: ice baths.

What You Need to Know About the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials

From June 21-30, more than 900 runners, throwers, and jumpers will put it all on the line for a chance to compete for Team USA at the Paris Olympics

The U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials is a showcase of hundreds of America’s best track and field athletes who will be battling for a chance to qualify for Team USA and compete in this summer’s Paris Olympics. For many athletes competing in Eugene, simply making it on to the start line is a life-long accomplishment. Each earned their spot by qualifying for the trials in their event(s). The athlete qualifier and declaration lists are expected to be finalized this week.

But for the highest echelon of athletes, the trials defines a make-or-break moment in their career. Only three Olympic team spots (in each gender) are available in each event, and given the U.S. depth in all facets of track and field—sprints, hurdles, throws, jumps, and distance running events—it’s considered the world’s hardest all-around team to make. How dominant is the U.S. in the world of track and field? It has led the track and field medal count at every Olympics since 1984.

At the trials, there are 20 total events for women and men—10 running events from 100 meters to 10,000 meters (including two hurdles races and the 3,000-meter steeplechase), four throwing events (discus, shot put, javelin, and hammer throw), four jumping events (long jump, triple jump, high jump, and pole vault), the quirky 20K race walking event, and, of course, the seven-event heptathlon (women) and the 10-event decathlon (men).

(At the Olympics, Team USA will also compete in men’s and women’s 4×100-meter and 4×400-meter relays, plus a mixed gender 4×400, and a mixed gender marathon race walk. The athletes competing on these teams will be drawn from those who qualify for Team USA in individual events, along with alternates who are the next-best finishers at the trials.

There’s also the Olympic marathon, but the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon was held on February 3 in Orlando, Florida, to give the athletes enough time to recover from the demands of hammering 26.2 miles before the big dance in Paris.

Although some countries arbitrarily select their Olympic track and field teams, the U.S. system is equitable for those who show up at the Olympic Trials and compete against the country’s best athletes in each particular event. There’s just one shot for everyone, and if you finish among the top three in your event (and also have the proper Olympic qualifying marks or international rankings under your belt), you’ll earn the opportunity of a lifetime—no matter if you’re a medal contender or someone who burst onto the scene with a breakthrough performance.

The top performers in Eugene will likely be contenders for gold medals in Paris. The list of American stars is long and distinguished, but it has to start with sprinters Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles, who will be both competing in the coveted 100 and 200 meters. Each athlete won 100-meter titles at last summer’s world championships in Budapest and ran on the U.S. gold-medal 4×100 relays. (Lyles also won the 200) Each has been running fast so far this spring, but more importantly, each seems to have the speed, the skill, and swagger it takes to become an Olympic champion in the 100 and carry the title of the world’s fastest humans.

But first they have to qualify for Team USA at the Olympic Trials. Although Lyles is the top contender in the men’s 100 and second in the world with a 9.85-second season’s best, five other U.S. athletes have run sub-10-second efforts already this season. Richardson enters the meet No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 3 in the world in the women’s 100 (10.83), but eight other Americans have also broken 11 seconds. That will make the preliminary heats precariously exciting and the finals (women’s on June 22, men’s on June 23) must-see TV.

There are five returning individual Olympic gold medalists competing in the U.S. Olympic Trials with the hopes of repeating their medals in Paris—Athing Mu (800 meters), Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (400-meter hurdles), Katie Moon (pole vault), Vallarie Allman (discus), and Ryan Crouser (shot put)—but there are more than a dozen other returning U.S. medalists from the Tokyo Olympics, as well as many more from the 2023 world championships, including gold medalists Chase Ealey (shot put), Grant Holloway (110-meter hurdles), Laulauga Tausaga (discus), and Crouser (shot put).

The most talented athlete entered in the Olympic Trials might be Anna Hall, the bronze and silver medalist in the seven-event heptathlon at the past two world championships. It’s an epic test of speed, strength, agility, and endurance. In the two-day event, Hall and about a dozen other women will compete in the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meters, long jump, javelin throw, and 800 meters, racking up points based on their performance in each event. The athletes with the top three cumulative totals will make the U.S. team. At just age 23, Hall is poised to contend for the gold in Paris, although Great Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson, the world champion in 2019 and 2023, is also still in search of her first Olympic gold medal after injuries derailed her in 2016 and 2021.

If you can find your way to Eugene—and can afford the jacked-up hotel and Airbnb prices in town and nearby Springfield—you can watch it live in person at Hayward Field. Rebuilt in 2021, it’s one of the most advanced track and field facilities in the world, with an extremely fast track surface, a wind-blocking architectural design, and 12,650 seats that all offer great views and close-to-the-action ambiance. Tickets are still available for most days, ranging from $45 to $195.

If you can’t make it to Eugene, you can watch every moment of every event (including preliminary events) via TV broadcasts and livestreams. The U.S. Olympic Trials will be broadcast live and via tape delay with 11 total broadcast segments on NBC, USA Network, and Peacock. All finals will air live on NBC during primetime and the entirety of the meet will be streamed on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com and the NBC/NBC Sports apps.

The Olympic Trials will be replete with young, rising stars. For example, the men’s 1500 is expected to be one of the most hotly contested events and the top three contenders for the Olympic team are 25 and younger: Yared Nuguse, 25, the American record holder in the mile (3:43.97), Cole Hocker, 23, who was the 2020 Olympic Trials champion, and Hobbs Kessler, 21, who turned pro at 18 just before racing in the last Olympic Trials. Sprinter Erriyon Knighton, who turned pro at age 16 and ran in the Tokyo Olympics at age 17, is still only 20 and already has two world championships medals under his belt. Plus, the biggest track star from the last Olympics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, is aiming for her third Olympics and third Olympic gold (she won the 400-meter hurdles and was on the winning 4×400 relay in Tokyo), and she’s only 24.

Several young collegiate stars could earn their place on the U.S. team heading to Paris after successful results in the just-completed NCAA championships. Leading the way are double-NCAA champions McKillenzie Long, 23, a University of Mississippi senior who enters the trials ranked sixth in the world in the 100 (10.91) and first in the 200 (21.83), and Parker Valby, a 21-year-old junior at the University of Florida, who ranks fifth in the U.S. in the 5,000 meters (14:52.18) and second in the 10,000 meters (30:50.43). Top men’s collegiate runners include 5,000-meter runner Nico Young (21, Northern Arizona University), 400-meter runner Johnnie Blockburger (21, USC), and 800-meter runners Shane Cohen (22, Virginia) and Sam Whitmarsh (21, Texas A&M).

It’s very likely. Elle St. Pierre is the top-ranked runner in both the 1500 and the 5,000, having run personal bests of 3:56.00 (the second-fastest time in U.S. history) and 14:34.12 (fifth-fastest on the U.S. list) this spring. Although she’s only 15 months postpartum after giving birth to son, Ivan, in March 2023, the 29-year-old St. Pierre is running better and faster than ever. In January, she broke the American indoor record in the mile (4:16.41) at the Millrose Games in New York City, then won the gold medal in the 3,000 meters at the indoor world championships in Glasgow in March.

St. Pierre could be joined by two world-class sprinters. Nia Ali, 35, the No. 2 ranked competitor in the 100-meter hurdles and the 2019 world champion, is a mother of 9-year-old son, Titus, and 7-year-old daughter, Yuri. Quanera Hayes, 32, the eighth-ranked runner in the 400 meters, is the mother to 5-year-old son, Demetrius. Hayes, a three-time 4×400 relay world champion, finished seventh in the 400 at the Tokyo Olympics.

Meanwhile, Kate Grace, a 2016 Olympian in the 800 meters who narrowly missed making Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, is back running strong at age 35 after a two-year hiatus during which she suffered from a bout of long Covid and then took time off to give birth to her son, River, in March 2023.

No, unfortunately, there are a few top-tier athletes who are hurt and won’t be able to compete. That includes Courtney Frerichs (torn ACL), the silver medalist in the steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021; Alicia Monson (torn medial meniscus), a 2020 Olympian in the 10,000 meters, the American record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, and the fifth-place finisher in the 5,000 at last year’s world championships; and Joe Klekcer (torn adductor muscle), who was 16th in the Tokyo Olympics and ninth in the 2022 world championships in the 10,000. Katelyn Tuohy, a four-time NCAA champion distance runner for North Carolina State who turned pro and signed with Adidas last winter, is also likely to miss the trials due to a lingering hamstring injury. There is also some doubt about the status of Athing Mu (hamstring), the Tokyo Olympics 800-meter champion, who has yet to race in 2024.

Meanwhile, Emma Coburn, a three-time Olympian, 2017 world champion, and 10-time U.S. champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, broke her ankle during her season-opening steeplechase in Shanghai on April 27. She underwent surgery a week later, and announced at the time that she would miss the trials, but has been progressing quickly through her recovery. If both she and Frerichs miss the meet, it will leave the door wide open for a new generation of steeplers—including 2020 Olympian Valerie Constein, who’s back in top form after tearing her ACL at a steeplechase in Doha and undergoing surgery last May.

The U.S. earned 41 medals in track and field at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo—including 10 gold medals—which ranked second behind China’s 51. This year’s Paralympics will follow the Olympics from August 28-September 8 in Paris.

The 2024 U.S. Paralympic Trials for track and field will be held from July 18-20 at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida, and Paralympic stars Nick Mayhugh, Brittni Mason, Breanna Clark, Ezra Frech, and Tatyana McFadden are all expected to compete.

In 2021 at the Tokyo Paralympics, Mayhugh set two new world records en route to winning the 100 meters (10.95) and 200 meters (21.91) in the T-37 category, and also took the silver medal in the 400 meters (50.26) and helped the U.S. win gold and set a world record in the mixed 4×100-meter relay (45.52). Clark returns to defend her Paralympic gold in the T-20 400 meters, while McFadden, a 20-time Paralympic medalist who also competed on the winning U.S. mixed relay, is expected to compete in the T-54 5,000 meters (bronze medal in 2021).

Livestream coverage of the U.S. Paralympic Trials for track and field will be available on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, and the NBC/NBC Sports app, with TV coverage on CNBC on July 20 (live) and July 21 (tape-delayed).

Two B.A.A. Athletes Qualify For U.S. Olympic Team Trials

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) today announced that B.A.A. High Performance Team members Annie Rodenfels and Bethany Hasz have earned spots on the starting line for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field, to be held later this month in Eugene, Oregon from June 21-30.

Rodenfels will compete in the women’s 3000m steeplechase (preliminary round June 24/final on June 27), while Hasz will toe the line in the women’s 5000m (preliminary round on June 21/final on June 24).

The Trials will be held at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, with top three finishers in each event slated to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games (so long as athletes have met the Olympic standard or earned enough qualifying points).

Rodenfels’ personal best in the steeplechase is 9:25.48, set last year. She won the steeplechase at the Drake Relays this year (9:31.03), was fourth at the Boston 5K in April, and clocked 15:03.97 indoors for 5000m in December 2023. Last fall she won the USATF 5K National Championship on the roads in New York City.

Hasz is coming off a 5000m lifetime best of 15:05.80 set May 17 in winning the Drake Relays 5000m. This year she’s also recorded personal bests in the road 5K (15:30), road 10K (32:03), and mile indoors (4:39.24). She earned a bronze medal at the 2023 USATF 5K National Championships, finishing third just behind Rodenfels and Olympian Rachel Smith.

The B.A.A.’s High Performance team supports runners on their way towards making international teams, with the goal of competing at the highest level: the Olympic Games, World Athletics Championships, and Abbott World Marathon Majors. The B.A.A. is sponsored by adidas, which provides comprehensive support for the organization’s High Performance team, running club, and mass-participatory events.

B.A.A HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAM ROSTER:

Eric Hamer

Bethany Hasz

Megan Hasz

Josh Kalapos

Barry Keane

Matt McDonald

Annie Rodenfels

Abbey Wheeler

ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (B.A.A.) 

Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A. manages the Boston Marathon, and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round programming. The 129th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America is scheduled to take place on Monday, April 21, 2025. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit www.baa.org.

Eugene mile clash intensifies Kerr-Ingebrigtsen rivalry ahead of Paris

With a lap and a half to go in the Bowerman Mile at last month’s Prefontaine Classic, Josh Kerr made what he described as a “dumb decision” – on purpose.

The world 1500m champion raced to the front at the Wanda Diamond League meeting, ahead of Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Yared Nuguse, the third- and fourth-fastest milers of all time, a move whose intention was daring them to chase him down. When neither could, Kerr burst through the line with a world-leading British record of 3:45.34 and bragging rights – for now.

Having said at the pre-event press conference that he was racing to win, not settle tension between himself and Ingebrigtsen after months of banter between the overnight rivals, Kerr settled who was best over one mile at least on this day at Hayward Field. As to who will be the best in the long run, that remains to be seen – because each runner left declaring confidence for their presumed rematch at the Paris Olympics.

“I was just excited to go out and race against a world-class field and show that I’m still the best 1500m runner in the world,” Kerr said. “The training I’ve done is not anywhere near my peak. 3:45 right now is good enough but we’ve got to make some progress moving from here.”

“It’s a good fight,” Ingebrigtsen said. “Some of my competitors have clearly taken a step in the right direction but not a big step – not as big of a step that maybe is needed to be the favourite in Paris. But I think if anything, this is going to be an exciting summer. For me, I think it’s very good.”

Kerr entered the race with full health and full confidence. After outkicking Ingebrigtsen, the Olympic champion, to win the world title in Budapest last year, Kerr set a world indoor best over two miles in February, then won the world indoor 3000m title in March in front of fans from his native Scotland.

Ingebrigtsen ended last season by winning the Prefontaine Classic mile in 3:43.73, just ahead of Nuguse, but then battled an achilles tendon injury during the winter. That did not necessarily mean he kept a low profile. Comments in the press by Ingebrigtsen began a back-and-forth.

When asked about his relationship with Ingebrigtsen at the press conference ahead of their recent clash in Eugene, Kerr responded: “I wouldn’t say this is a counselling session.”

No, but the race did prove to be a strategy session. The athletes at the front felt that the time through 800m, 1:53, was not too fast. With 600 metres to go, Kerr made his move.

“I thought it was a dumb decision and I knew if I thought it was a dumb decision then it probably was and that was going to scare myself and everyone else around me,” said Kerr, whose previous personal best of 3:48.87 was set two years ago.

Did such an early move surprise Ingebrigtsen?

“A little bit,” he said. “Because historically people have a tendency to not do what they say they’re going to do so they can feel very confident when they have to hold their mask but when we start racing everybody’s very insecure so I think it says a lot about their preparations. I think it was as expected but maybe still surprised that someone is deciding to all of a sudden start racing so I think that’s very good.”

Considering his delayed start to training, Ingebrigtsen was pleased with the time.

"If you do the conversion [to 1500m] it’s a pretty good start," he said. "I’m not a fan of the mile event by itself because it has nothing to do with my culture, definitely something British and American, which I’m not that familiar with, but I think it’s a very good start. I have lost quite a lot of training this winter."

While commentating inside the stadium for the BBC, Steve Cram watched as Kerr broke his 1985 British record of 3:46.32, then had a word with Kerr following the race.

“He said it was a long time coming and he was very proud of me and the way I raced today,” Kerr said.

Jake Wightman, the 2022 world champion at 1500m who missed nearly all of last season due to injury, was fifth in 3:47.87, just behind another British middle-distance specialist, Neil Gourley. Those fast times and gold medals since 2022 were the background to why Kerr said the sport is “heading into the golden era of 1500m running in the UK and in Europe”.

Ingebrigtsen, the day before, had said that being available to race often against top competition was something he considered part of an athlete’s job. Asked if he needed to reassess how to race Kerr tactically given Kerr’s bold and somewhat surprising early move to the front, Ingebrigtsen pointed to his literal track record.

“The last couple of years obviously I have been the only one racing for many of the races so when someone all of a sudden decides to participate other than just following, it’s something different,” Ingebrigtsen said. “So it’s not surprising but it’s just something different.”

Asked if he was suggesting Kerr – who claimed his first Diamond League victory Saturday – had not raced often enough, Ingebrigtsen asked a reporter about the September 2023 meeting in Eugene, when Nuguse was in the field, but not Kerr.

“What about the last time we were here?” Ingebrigtsen said.

Nuguse was third in Eugene in 3:46.22, and while that was behind his 3:43.97 personal best from September, that race occurred at the season’s very end. To run 3:46 in May, at the start of a long season, left Nuguse smiling afterwards, even as he noted he needs to train to be more capable of closing quicker in the final 100m.

“I definitely feel a lot stronger and more comfortable being closer to the front,” Nuguse said. “In a race with so many great guys I think just to come out with third and still be pulling away from it is really huge. I’m feeling really good compared to last year.”

American track star Parker Valby wins NCAA 10,000m title in controversial shoes

Valby wore customized Nike Vaporfly Next% 3 track spikes, which are 40 mm high.

There is no doubt University of Florida athlete Parker Valby is one of the best American distance runners on the scene today; on Thursday, she earned her fifth career NCAA track and field title, winning the women’s 10,000m event in a championship record 31:46.09. After the race, Valby told Citius Mag she had a boost from her custom 40 mm stack height Vaporfly Next% 3 track spikes, which, if the NCAA followed World Athletics competition rules, would be illegal. 

Since there are no rules against 40 mm shoes (with or without spikes) or prototypes in the NCAA, Valby was allowed to wear them. In World Athletics-accredited competitions, track spikes with a stack height over 25 mm are not allowed. When Valby was asked about her spikes post-race, she said Nike made them for her and presented several options for this race.

The Nike Vaporfly Next% 3 is typically used for road racing, and features a carbon-fiber plate and a max-cushioning midsole with a 40 mm stack height in the heel. This combination of the carbon-fiber plate and foam on impact increases energy return, meaning more of the runner’s exerted energy is converted into forward motion, improving speed and reducing fatigue. With spike pins added, this shoe would certainly enhance performance significantly on the track. 

Valby will compete again at the 2024 NCAA Track and Field Championships on June 8 in the women’s 5,000m. She has not stated whether she will wear her personal prototype shoe. She is the reigning NCAA champion over the distance.

Valby, 21, was the only athlete in the women’s 10,000m final wearing these max-cushioned custom spikes, and she made it look easy, spending the first few laps of the 10,000m waving to herself on the Hayward Field jumbotron. Since USATF follows World Athletics competition rules, Valby’s winning time from this race would not be eligible for the U.S. Olympic Trials 10,000m qualification (though it doesn’t matter, since she has previously run a qualification time wearing a WA-legal pair of spikes).

World Athletics introduced in-competition stack height rules in 2021 to ensure fairness, maintain the integrity of the sport and address the performance advantages provided by technological advancements in footwear. As things stand in the NCAA, athletes who wear shoes with a heel stack height over the legal 25 mm will not have their times count for anything outside of the NCAA; this makes monitoring the issue extremely complicated, with hundreds of meets condensed over a 3.5-month season.

Shalane Flanagan Finds Her Sweet Spot With College Coaching

She’s juggling the University of Oregon women’s distance runners, the Bowerman Track Club, and a young family. 

Before she gives a new workout to her University of Oregon athletes, Shalane Flanagan will try it out herself. 

During cross-country season, it was a 5-mile tempo loop. Was it too hilly? Were the turns too sharp? In April, she was “messing around at the track one day,” as she described it, when she attempted a descending ladder of mile-800-600-400 at 10K-5K-3K-1500 pace with a short jog recovery.

“Yeah, that’s really hard,” she thought to herself. “But I think if they did that twice, it would make 10K runners feel really prepared.” Her goal with the experimentation is to make sure a workout is “feasible, but not outlandish” before her runners do it. 

Few distance coaches in the NCAA are doing what she does, testing hard workouts, although Flanagan, 42, is quick to say that she does not hit the same splits her athletes do. Her boss, Oregon head coach Jerry Schumacher, is not so sure. “I see her out running every now and then, holy cow, she’s flying,” he told Runner’s World, quipping that it’s too bad she’s used up her NCAA eligibility. 

Fewer still have the credentials that Flanagan, a four-time Olympian, has. She was the Olympic silver medalist in the 10,000 meters in 2008 and the 2017 New York City Marathon champion. Since she retired in 2019, she stayed on as an assistant coach with the Bowerman Track Club, a Nike pro group also coached by Schumacher that she ran for in the latter stages of her career. 

That experience gives her credibility with her runners. So when she tells her athletes that they’re ready to handle a workout or race a certain time, they believe her. 

“I don’t like to refer back to myself a lot,” she said in an interview at her home, a large 1920s colonial about a half mile from Hayward Field. “But I’ll say, ‘Hey, I’ve had experience with this,’ and I think they know, when I’m giving them advice, it’s not a hypothetical. I’m not projecting or guessing. 

“They know it’s coming from a genuine place, because I’ve lived it,” she added. “I think that can be helpful with their confidence.”

Multiple full-time jobs

Flanagan had been living near Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Steve Edwards, and toddler son, Jack, when Schumacher was hired as the head coach of Oregon in Eugene, two hours south, in the summer of 2022. He brought Flanagan on as an assistant coach, while both kept their responsibilities with the Bowerman team, which also moved to Eugene. It was a lot. 

Those early days for Flanagan—getting to know 11 female distance runners on the team, developing their training, learning the ever-changing NCAA rules, recruiting—were exhausting. And that was before they adopted a second child, Grace, as a newborn, in January 2023. They had only hours notice before Grace’s arrival. 

Flanagan gets childcare help for Jack, almost 4, and Grace, 1, from a variety of babysitters and her parents. Her father, Steve Flanagan, and her stepmother visit often. One time, Flanagan had some team members’ parents visiting, and she turned around to see her dad showing them her Olympic medal. “What are you doing?” she asked him. “Put that away, that’s embarrassing.” 

About three months in, when Schumacher asked her how she was handling the workload, she told him she was overwhelmed. “I’m really tired,” she said, “but this is the most fun I’ve ever had professionally. Like, I really love this job. I really love college athletics.”

Schumacher gave her full autonomy to write the training for Oregon’s women. And unlike with the Bowerman program, which former runners have said did not have much variation depending on the athlete, Flanagan has personalized training at Oregon for each individual. Some athletes on her team run as little as 25 miles per week, others go as high as 75. 

One cornerstone of her training is the weekly long run on Sundays, and most weeks it has some structure to it, with tempo portions or a fartlek. For most of the team, the distance ranges from 12 to 16 miles, depending on the person.

When she first arrived in Eugene, she wrote the training with ranges in mileage. Easy days, for instance, she’d have her runners do 6 to 8 miles, depending on how they felt. They didn’t like that. They wanted an exact number. Getting them to trust themselves, listen to their bodies, and know the difference between muscle soreness and a potential injury has been one of her biggest challenges. 

“I have tried to instill in them that they need to learn their body,” she said. “Like, I’m not in their body—they need to take stock and learn how to read their body. It’s one of the greatest skills and assets I felt like I had [as a runner].” 

Flanagan tries to run with various groups at least one day per week on their easy runs. “It’s fun to run with the coach,” said Klaudia Kazimierska, who was fourth in the 1500 meters at the NCAA outdoor championships in 2023. “She’s a great inspiration, and she was a great athlete. She tries to give us a lot of information—and she tries to show us that running is so fun.” 

Flanagan finds it easier to learn about her athletes when they’re on the run instead of sitting down and looking at one another. She’ll pick up vibes about what’s going on with them and urge them to limit their social media, especially when it comes to training. 

“They devour information about what everyone else is doing,” Flanagan said. “I tell them, ‘You’ve got to be careful what goes in your head.’ I don’t follow any other kids from any other programs or any other coaches. I think it would undermine my intuitiveness. I don’t want to know.”

At the same time, she finds her college athletes much more professional than she was as an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina, when she worked hard, but also focused on her classes and other parts of college life. Not these women. “If anything, I’m like, ‘Yo, you’ve got to chill out. You’ve got to dial this back,’” she said. “They’re really into their running and I don’t have to nudge or push. They are really on top of it. It’s kind of freaky.”

Mixed results

Flanagan’s approach has yielded immediate results, but some athletes have had setbacks as well. 

Last year, four qualified for the NCAA outdoor championships in the distance events, from 800 to 10,000, including three who made the final in the 1500. 

Early in the 2024 outdoor season, the Ducks seemed destined to have more in this year’s championship meet, which started June 5 at Hayward Field. 

At the end of March, Maddy Elmore set a school record in the 5,000 meters, running 15:15.79. Two weeks later, Şilan Ayyildiz, a transfer from the University of South Carolina who had been at Oregon for only about three months, ran 15:15.84.

Ayyildiz lines up at the NCAA championships this weekend, along with Kazimierska and Mia Barnett in the 1500 meters, and a freshman steeplechaser, Katie Clute. But Elmore sustained an injury to her soleus in late April and was unable to run in the qualifying meet for NCAAs. Flanagan’s total is again four athletes at NCAAs. She had hoped to have at least one qualifier in every event distance event. 

In her short tenure, she has seen how college students have to grapple with stress, classes, finals, and in some cases, anxiety. They pick up illnesses. The big result doesn’t always come at the right time—if it comes at all. “I see these things and I see how they move and handle the work, but sometimes in this season, I may not get the performance in a race,” she said. The coach is still learning. 

A busy summer 

Elmore might be back in time to race the Olympic Trials, which begin on June 21. Kazimierska will go home to Poland and hope to make the Polish Olympic team in the 1500 meters. As soon as the season is over, Flanagan will turn more of her attention to the Bowerman team, which currently has three women: Karissa Schweizer, Christina Aragon, and Kaylee Mitchell. The club had several departures from the men’s and women’s side after Shelby Houlihan’s doping ban in 2021 and the move to Eugene in 2022. 

It’s been difficult for Flanagan to watch the turnover, especially as some of the athletes she’d trained alongside for years, like steeplechaser Courtney Frerichs, left. They’re friends.

At the same time, Flanagan understands it. She changed coaches a few times herself during her career. It would be selfish for her to expect them to stay. 

“Especially at the end of a career, to eke out those last big performances, sometimes you need a change of scenery,” she said. “I actually think it’s healthy to get different training, a different stimulus. Sometimes you can fall into this monotony and it feels stale especially if you’ve been doing it for a while.”

When she heard from athletes that they were thinking of leaving Bowerman, Flanagan jumped in with suggestions. 

Her coaching brain took over to help. 

“At the end of the day, I want them to be successful and happy,” she said. “So when they expressed maybe needing a change, I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s work through this. What are your plans? I don’t want you to leave and aimlessly not have a plan. What does that look like, what do you want to do?’ It’s a natural evolution.” 

Josh Kerr beats 39-year-old British mile record and rival Ingebrigtsen in Eugene

Josh Kerr smashed Steve Cram’s 39-year-old British record to claim victory in the mile race at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon. The Scottish runner won a highly anticipated showdown with his Norwegian rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen thanks to a remarkable world-leading run of 3min 45.34sec.

Cram, who was commentating on the race for the BBC, had held the British record since 1985 with a time of 3:46.32.

The Olympic 1500m champion, Ingebrigtsen, who was stunned by Kerr in that event at last year’s world championships in Budapest, finished second, with the Britons Neil Gourley and Jake Wightman in fourth and fifth respectively.

Earlier, Keely Hodgkinson produced a dominant display to win the women’s 800m. The 22-year-old clocked a world-leading time of one minute 55.78 secs, while compatriot Jemma Reekie was third – behind Kenyan Mary Moraa – in a time of 1min 57.45sec.

Sha’Carri Richardson, the world champion won in her first women’s 100m of the Olympic year in a time of 10.83sec ahead of St Lucia’s Julien Alfred (10.93) and Dina Asher-Smith, whose time of 10.98 was a season best for the Briton.

Laura Muir continued preparations for this summer’s Olympics in Paris with fourth place in the women’s 1500m in a season’s best 3min 56.35sec. The Tokyo 2020 silver medallist said: “I want to be in the best shape I can for August, so it’s a step towards that to run 56 [seconds] in May. It’s very promising.”

Elsewhere, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet set a new world record of 28min 54.14sec to win the women’s 10,000m. Chebet bested the previous record of 29.01.03 set by Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey at FBK Stadium in the Netherlands on 8 June 2021.Chebet finished ahead of Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia, who finished in 29min 5.92sec in cloudy and cool temperatures. Chebet started to pull away with three laps to go, then poured herself into the final lap. “My body was responding good and I felt strong,” she said. “I felt like I was very comfortable.”

It was her first 10,000m race since 2020, in Nairobi. Chebet, 24, won the silver medal at the 5,000m at the world championships at Hayward Field in 2022. She won the bronze in the event at the worlds last year.

The finish qualified her for her first Olympics this summer in Paris. She said she hopes to double in the 5,000m and 10,000m. “But my target is to run 5,000m first, then 10,000m comes second,” she said. “Because this is my first 10,000m outside the country to run, and I’m so happy to run 28, a world record.”

The Prefontaine Classic is the lone American stop on the international Diamond League series.

Beatrice Chebet broke the women’s 10,000m world record at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday

Kenyan Beatrice Chebet broke the women’s 10,000m world record at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday.

Chebet, 24, clocked 28 minutes, 54.15 seconds at Hayward Field in her first 10,000m race since March 2020.

She became the first woman to break 29 minutes in the event, beating Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey’s previous world record of 29:01.03 from 2021.

Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay placed second on Saturday in 29:05.92, the third-fastest time in history.

Ferdinand Omanyala, Christian Coleman to go head-to-head in Eugene

Ferdinand Omanyala has his work cut out as he continues his Olympic build-up campaign at the Prefontaine Classic this weekend.

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala is not resting on his laurels as he will be in action this weekend, at the Prefontaine Classic, the Diamond League Meeting in Eugene, Oregon.

Omanyala will be competing in his third 100m race of the season, hoping to bag his first win in 2024, but that is not the main priority at the moment.

The Commonwealth Games champion had a great indoor campaign, finishing fourth in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. He then kickstarted his 100m campaign at the Kip Keino Classic, finishing fifth in the race that was won by America’s Kenny Bednarek.

The 28-year-old then proceeded to the Atlanta City Games last weekend where he finished second behind South Africa’s Akani Simbine who set a world leading time of 9.90 seconds.

He now heads to the Hayward Field in Eugene, hungry for more and will be up against a formidable field of sprinters who will also be looking to impress.

One athlete to look out for will be Christian Coleman, who will be looking to bounce back following his second-place finish at the Diamond League Meeting in Shanghai. He started his 100m campaign at the Diamond League Meeting in Xiamen with a win.

Another athlete to watch will be Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake who has been turning heads with his great form. Blake finished second at the Miramar Invitational before finishing third in the Diamond League Meeting in Xiamen.

The 22-year-old faltered and was forced to finish fifth at the Diamond League Meeting in Shanghai and then shone on home soil with a second-place finish at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational Meet.

Others included in the field are Benjamin Azamati, the American duo of Brandon Hicklin and Brandon Carnes with another Jamaican, Sandrey Davison, also included in the field.

Mile clash the big attraction in Eugene

Going strictly by time, the Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday (25) is one of the fastest races in the meeting’s 49-year history.

Add in the storylines, and it’s one of the most anticipated, too.

Featuring seven men with lifetime bests faster than 3:50, Olympic and world championship gold medallists, world record-holders and rivals whose banter has preceded the matchup for months, the mile caps a Wanda Diamond League meeting at Hayward Field whose potential for world-leading marks extends far beyond its final event.

Consider, for one, the women’s 800m, and the early window it will open into this summer’s Olympics. The field includes six of the eight competitors from last year’s World Championships final in Budapest, including gold medallist Mary Moraa and silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson. Notably absent will be bronze medallist Athing Mu, the Olympic champion, who was initially scheduled to race but has been withdrawn out of precaution because of a sore hamstring.

Raevyn Rogers, the 2019 world silver medallist whose image adorns a tower standing high above Hayward Field, also is entered, along with Jemma Reekie, Nia Akins and Halimah Nakaayi, who is coming off a victory at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix.

World champion Sha’Carri Richardson and Elaine Thompson-Herah headline the women’s 100m, along with world indoor 60m champion Julien Alfred and Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith, while world indoor 60m champion Christian Coleman and Ackeem Blake are among the fastest entered in the men's 100m.

Perhaps the most dominant athlete entering the meeting is Grant Holloway, the world 110m hurdles champion who has won all 10 races he has contested this year, including the indoor season and heats. That also includes running a world-leading 13.07 into a headwind to win in Atlanta last weekend.

The three-time world champion's last loss came on the very same Hayward Field track, at last September’s Prefontaine Classic. The only remaining gap on Holloway’s resume is an Olympic gold medal, and Saturday’s race could be an early preview of Paris, as the field includes five who raced in last summer’s World Championships final in Budapest, including silver medallist Hansle Parchment and Daniel Roberts, who earned bronze.

Shot put world record-holder and multiple world and Olympic champion Ryan Crouser will open his outdoor season in his home state and at the stadium where he owns the facility record, while trying to best Leonardo Fabbri’s world-leading mark of 22.95m.

Since 2023, Crouser has lost in just one final – and it was at September’s Prefontaine Classic to Joe Kovacs, who won in Los Angeles last weekend with 22.93m, and is entered again. Payton Otterdahl, who owns the world No.3 mark this year, also is in the field.

Those events offer no shortage of global medallists. Few, however, carry the prospect for as much drama as the mile.

Over the past year, Olympic 1500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr, who outkicked Ingebrigtsen for last year’s world title in Budapest, have carried on a battle of words through the press about who could prevail in Paris.

Commonwealth champion Olli Hoare, who is part of the field following his 1500m win in Los Angeles last week, said the sport was better for the attention drawn by the back-and-forth between Ingebrigtsen and Kerr – but added that other racers wanted to strike the appropriate level of respect for their competitors, such as Yared Nuguse, whose PB of 3:43.97 was set battling Ingebrigtsen (4:43.73) down to the line at September’s Pre Classic.

“This is a big one. This is going to be a big one for a lot of egos,” Hoare said in Los Angeles. “But I think it’s going to be a big one for me because it’ll be the first race where I’ll have an inkling of where I am with the world’s best. There’s a bit of tossing and turning with the banter but you can’t disrespect that field. If you do, you’ll get eaten alive.”

That list of seven men under 3:50, which includes Hoare, notably doesn’t include Jake Wightman, who will be racing Ingebrigtsen for the first time since their duel at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, when Wightman won gold; Abel Kipsang, who was fourth at the Tokyo Olympics; Geordie Beamish, less than three months after he stormed to the world indoor title; or Lamecha Girma, the steeplechase world record-holder who is making his mile debut.

“Jake Wightman’s back, he’s a world champion,” Hoare said. “Yared Nuguse, 3:43 mile – these guys are keeping quiet and they’re going to wait for their opportunity to strike. And when they do strike, I guarantee they will make a comment.”

They are not the only accomplished names entered in the distances.

Athletics Kenya will determine its men's and women's Olympic 10,000m qualifiers at Hayward Field, with Kenya's two-time world cross-country champion Beatrice Chebet, the world leader at 5000m this season, part of a women's race that will include world champion Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia, eight months after Tsegay set the world 5000m record on the same track.

World record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech will attempt to retain her controlling hold over the steeplechase when she races top challenger Faith Cherotich. The Kenyan duo produced the two fastest times in the world this year at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, which Chepkoech won in 8:55.40 to Cherotich’s 9:05.91. Olympic silver medallist Courtney Frerichs will no longer run after injuring the ACL and meniscus in her right knee.

One week after winning in Los Angeles, Diribe Welteji leads the 1500m field that includes 13 women who have run under four minutes. World indoor 3000m champion Elle St Pierre, who won the 5000m in Los Angeles, is running her first 1500m of the season, with Laura Muir, Nikki Hiltz, Jessica Hull, Hirut Meshesha and Cory McGee also entered.

Multiple world and Olympic gold medallist Sifan Hassan, as well as world No.2 Ejgayehu Taye, will feature in the 5000m.

In the field, world and Olympic pole vault champion Katie Moon opens her outdoor season against Sandi Morris, and in the triple jump four of the top five women this season are entered, led by Thea LaFond, whose 15.01m jump to win the world indoor title in Glasgow still stands as the mark to beat.

Olympic discus champion Valarie Allman has not lost in Eugene in two years, a run that includes claiming September’s Diamond League final. That could change on Saturday because of the presence of world leader Yaime Perez, who finished second to Allman in Xiamen last month.

In the men’s 200m, top US sprinters who will duel at the Olympic trials only weeks later will face off. Kenny Bednarek, fresh off a world-leading 19.67 in Doha, is scheduled to race against world No.2 Courtney Lindsey (19.71), with world silver medallist Erriyon Knighton making his season debut. Joe Fahnbulleh and Kyree King, winner of the Los Angeles Grand Prix 100m, are also entered.

Another winner in Los Angeles, Rai Benjamin, headlines the men’s 400m hurdles, and he enters with considerable confidence after running 46.64, the ninth-fastest performance of all time.

“I think I’m the fastest guy in the field, honestly,” Benjamin said of potential Olympic chances.

The women’s 100m hurdles and women’s hammer will not count towards Diamond League points totals, but will be more potential previews for global championships.

Women who account for five of the year’s six fastest times, all of whom are separated by fractions of a second, will face off in the hurdles. Tonea Marshall, fresh off her victory in Los Angeles in 12.42, leads 2019 world champion Nia Ali, Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, two-time world champion Danielle Williams and world indoor champion Devynne Charlton.

Brooke Andersen’s 79.92m throw from earlier this month remains the world-leading hammer mark this season but she will be challenged by world champion Camryn Rogers, 2019 world champion DeAnna Price and world silver medallist Janee’ Kassanavoid, who own the next three farthest throws this season.

Sha'Carri Richardson will headline the women's 100m at the Prefontaine Classic

Track superstar Sha'Carri Richardson will headline the women's 100m at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League event on 25 May at Eugene's Hayward Field.

The reigning world champion is set to make her 100m debut in the Olympic season, facing the 60m world indoor champion Julien Alfred of St. Lucia and Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith of Côte d'Ivoire.

Richardson is still on the hunt for her first win of this year's Diamond League season after finishing second over 200m at the Diamond League opener in Xiamen and third seven days later in Suzhou.

Last year's Prefontaine winner, Christian Coleman, is hoping to defend his 100m title. He will face off against Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala and Jamaica's Ackeem Blake.

In the men's 200m, world silver medalist Erriyon Knighton is up against Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.

Mu, Moraa and Hodgkinson confirmed for 800m clash in Eugene

Athing Mu, Mary Moraa and Keely Hodgkinson – the three women who’ve claimed the 800m medals at the past two World Championships – will clash at the Prefontaine Classic when the Wanda Diamond League reaches Eugene on 25 May.

Mu won in Eugene last year when Hayward Field hosted the Wanda Diamond League Final. Having finished third at the World Championships three months prior, the Olympic champion gained revenge on home soil and kicked to victory in a US record of 1:54.97.

Hodgkinson – as she had done at the Olympics in 2021, as well as at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships – finished second on that occasion in a British record of 1:55.19.

Moraa wound up fourth in that race, but the Kenyan had won the biggest prize of the year in Budapest, taking the world title in a PB of 1:56.03.

The trio have clashed just three times in the past, with Mu coming out on top in two of those encounters.

It’s the second big middle-distance clash announced by the Prefontaine Classic, following the news last month that Olympic 1500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen will take on world champion Josh Kerr and North American record-holder Yared Nuguse in the Bowerman mile.

5 things you should know about Steve Prefontaine

Steve “Pre” Prefontaine would have turned 73 on Thursday, and the legendary runner’s enduring legacy and impact on the sport continues. From Coos Bay, Ore., Pre became one of the biggest stars in the sport during his time at the University of Oregon in the 70s, where he held seven American records from the 2,000m to the 10,000m. Here are five facts about the iconic runner, whose achievements and words continue to inspire and resonate.

Trailblazer of distance running

Prefontaine was a pioneer in distance running, known for his fearless approach and unwavering determination. He burst onto the scene in the early 1970s, and his aggressive front-running style and refusal to settle for anything but victory revolutionized distance running in the U.S. and beyond.

Prefontaine’s Olympic journey was tragically cut short when he was 24. He competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich and was preparing for the 1976 Olympics with the Oregon Track Club when he died in a car accident on May 30, 1975.

Advocate for athletes’ rights

Beyond his achievements on the track, Prefontaine was a vocal advocate for the rights of amateur athletes. He challenged the existing system, governed by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) that restricted athletes’ ability to earn money while maintaining their amateur status. Prefontaine defied the AAU by organizing a series of meets with a group of Finnish athletes. One of these meets, held at Marshfield High School in 1975, was where Prefontaine set his last American record.

Legendary duel at the 1972 Munich Olympics

One of Prefontaine’s most memorable moments was the 5,000m race at the 1972 Munich Olympics. In a fierce battle against Finnish runner Lasse Virén, Prefontaine showcased his indomitable spirit, finishing fourth in a race that is often considered one of the greatest duels in Olympic history. The image of Prefontaine pushing himself to the limit serves as a timeless reminder of his competitive fire.

Nike’s first signature athlete

In 1974, Prefontaine signed with Nike for $5,000—as the first runner to sign with the company, he jump-started the brand as a running shoe company. Bill Bowerman, the sports coach at the University of Oregon, also happened to be the co-founder of Nike. In 2022, a pair of Nike Oregon waffle shoes worn by the distance runner were sold for USD $163,800 on the auction site, Sothebys.com.

The Prefontaine Classic

In honor of Pre’s lasting impact on the sport, the annual Prefontaine Classic track and field meet was established in Eugene, Ore. This prestigious event attracts elite athletes from around the world and continues to be a fitting tribute to Pre’s legacy. Hayward Field, where the meet is held, holds a special place in the hearts of runners as the venue where Prefontaine achieved many of his remarkable feats.

Prefontaine is remembered not only for his athletic prowess but also for the passion, courage, and advocacy that defined his life.

Five things you should know about Steve Prefontaine, on his birthday

Steve “Pre” Prefontaine would turn 73 on Thursday (Jan 25), and the legendary runner’s enduring legacy and impact on the sport continues. From Coos Bay, Ore., Pre became one of the biggest stars in the sport during his time at the University of Oregon in the 70s, where he held seven American records from the 2,000m to the 10,000m.  Here are five facts about the iconic runner, whose achievements and words continue to inspire and resonate worldwide.

1.- Trailblazer of distance running

Prefontaine was a pioneer in distance running, known for his fearless approach and unwavering determination. He burst onto the scene in the early 1970s, and his aggressive front-running style and refusal to settle for anything but victory revolutionized distance running in the U.S. and beyond.

Prefontaine’s Olympic journey was tragically cut short when he was 24. Prefontaine competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich and was preparing for the 1976 Olympics with the Oregon Track Club when he died in a car accident on May 30, 1975.

2.- Advocate for athlete’s rights

Beyond his achievements on the track, Prefontaine was a vocal advocate for the rights of amateur athletes. He challenged the existing system, governed by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) that restricted athletes’ ability to earn money while maintaining their amateur status. Prefontaine defied the AAU by organizing a series of meets with a group of Finnish athletes. One of these meets, held at Marshfield High School in 1975, was where Prefontaine set his last American record.

3.- Legendary duel at the 1972 Munich Olympics

One of Prefontaine’s most memorable moments was the 5,000-meter race at the 1972 Munich Olympics. In a fierce battle against Finnish runner Lasse Virén, Prefontaine showcased his indomitable spirit, finishing fourth in a race that is often considered one of the greatest duels in Olympic history. The image of Prefontaine pushing himself to the limit serves as a timeless reminder of his competitive fire.

4.- Nike’s first signature athlete

In 1974, Prefontaine signed with Nike for $5,000—as the first runner to sign with the company, he jump-started the brand as a running shoe company. Bill Bowerman, the sports coach at the University of Oregon, also happened to be the co-founder of Nike. In 2022, a pair of Nike Oregon Waffle shoes worn by distance runner Prefontaine were sold for USD $163,800 on the auction site, Sothebys.com

5.- The Prefontaine Classic

In honor of Pre’s lasting impact on the sport, the Prefontaine Classic, an annual track and field meet, was established in Eugene, Ore. This prestigious event attracts elite athletes from around the world and continues to be a fitting tribute to Pre’s legacy. Hayward Field, where the meet is held, holds a special place in the hearts of runners as the venue where Prefontaine achieved many of his remarkable feats.

Prefontaine is remembered not only for his athletic prowess but also for the passion, courage, and advocacy that defined his life.

Eugene Will Host 2024 US Olympic Track & Field Trials, Again

The next US Olympic Track and Field Trials will be held in ….. Eugene, yet again.

Yes that’s right. Hayward Field will host the 2024 US Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field from June 21-30, 2024, USATF announced in a statement on Thursday. The Olympic track & field program will begin four weeks later, on August 1 in Paris.

2024 will be the fifth straight Olympic Trials hosted by Eugene (2008, 2012, 2016, 2021, 2024) and Eugene’s fourth straight USATF Outdoor Championship. Since the new Hayward Field opened in 2020, no other stadium has hosted the US championships.

That means that in 2024 — just as in 2015, 2016, 2021, and 2022 — the three biggest meets in American track & field will be held at Hayward Field: the Prefontaine Classic, the NCAA championships, and the USATF championships/Olympic Trials. Here is what the schedule will look like for 2024:

May 25: Prefontaine ClassicJune 5-8: NCAA championshipsJune 21-30: US Olympic Trials

Quick Take: Eugene does a fantastic job hosting big meets, but it’s time to give someone else a chance to host the Olympic Trials

Let’s make a few things clear. The new Hayward Field is the best track & field stadium in the country, and Eugene has a terrific local organizing committee in TrackTown USA that knows how to stage big meets. The 2024 Olympic Trials are going to be terrific — they always are.

When you’ve got a beautiful new stadium like Hayward Field, you don’t want it to go to waste. But from 2021-2024, almost every major track meet in the US will have been staged at Hayward Field. The three most important track meets in the US are the Prefontaine Classic (the US’s only Diamond League), the NCAA championships, and the USATF championships/Olympic Trials. During a four-year period, 11 of those 12 meets will have been hosted in Eugene. And that does not even include the biggest meet Eugene has ever hosted — the 2022 World Championships.

That’s a recipe for major Eugene fatigue.

The Prefontaine Classic obviously isn’t moving out of Eugene, and the NCAAs are locked into Eugene through 2027. But it’s a missed opportunity to hold USAs in Eugene every single year, particularly the Olympic Trials. There are a limited number of diehard track fans in the US, and any diehard who has wanted to visit the new Hayward Field has probably done it at this point. If a husband and wife are huge track fans and they already figured out a way to take their kids to Eugene for Worlds, are they really going to want to go back again to the same location for the Trials?

The Olympic Trials should be in Eugene at most once every eight years. The last two normal* Trials drew more than 20,000 fans per day (21,644 in 2012; 22,1222 in 2016) but it’s foolish to suggest that the Trials can only do those sort of numbers in Eugene.

*Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was ticketing uncertainty about the 2021 Trials until the very last minute, which meant attendance numbers were a fraction of previous years

In the United States, when you throw the word Olympic in front of anything, people go crazy. And the last few US championships has shown that the built-in track fanbase in Eugene — the diehards who will go to every meet — has dwindled significantly.

We’re confident that if you staged the Olympic Trials in Austin, Des Moines, Omaha, Sacramento, or Mt. SAC, you’d draw big crowds. The Olympic Trials will do well anywhere they are held.

The question then, is why isn’t this happening?

“We all know that getting [to Eugene], it’s trying,” said Will Leer, chair of the USATF Athlete Advisory Committee, when LetsRun asked him about this at USAs in July. “Small airport, it’s expensive, hotels are minimal. But the process by which championships are awarded is through a bid. That much is well-known throughout all of USATF. And time and time again, TrackTown comes to the table with the best bid.”

Eugene certainly has a lot to offer, but we also don’t how much competition there is to host these events. It’s not as simple as USATF just awarding the Trials to a different city. A potential Trials host needs a world-class track facility and a local organizing committee interested in bidding for the Trials, which requires dollars.

Sarah Lorge Butler reports that Eugene paid at least $3 million to host the 2020 Trials, writing, “TrackTown paid a nonrefundable rights fee of $500,000 and the total prize purse of $1.4 million. They also had obligations to provide $1.1 million for athlete support during the meet, to be used at USATF’s sole discre

It’s an expensive undertaking for any local organizing committee. We know Eugene has the dollars. It’s unclear whether anyone else does (If you know of any other city that bid for the Trials, please email us at letsrun@letsrun.com)

If it’s simply a matter of USATF needing to find $3 million to put on the Trials, we know where they could find it. USATF head Max Siegel was paid a ridiculous $3.8 million in compensation in 2021; reduce that to a more reasonable $800k and you could hold the Trials wherever you wanted without any financial impact on USATF.

This historic track froze into a skating rink

The West Coast of the U.S. and Canada got hit with sub-zero temperatures over the weekend as a cold front swept through the Midwest. Northern California and Southern Oregon reported unusual seasonal lows around -5 and -10 C, resulting in extreme cold that even froze over Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, transforming one of the most well-known tracks in the world into a skating rink.

Instead of wearing spikes for their Monday morning workout, the Oregon Ducks track and field team was seen skating on the track, turning their usual practice into more of a speed-skating session.

The video was posted to Oregon freshman Simeon Birnbaum’s Instagram story on Monday, where he was also seen sporting a Team Canada kit T-shirt. Although Birnbaum is from South Dakota, he has Canadian roots, having spent his early years in Alberta, where he learned to skate, according to Runnerspace. He transitioned from hockey to track in his early teenage years and is now a sub-four-minute miler with the University of Oregon track and field team under coach Jerry Schumacher.

The sight of people skating on Hayward Field has sparked a few ideas. First, envision an epic NHL Winter Classic game in that stadium. With a capacity of up to 25,000 fans and oval-shaped grandstands reminiscent of an NHL arena, the venue could provide an ideal setting and atmosphere for a game.

I know the recent Winter Classic between the Seattle Kraken and Las Vegas Golden Knights at MLB stadium T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Jan. 1 accommodated way more fans than Hayward, but let’s get NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on the phone to arrange a future Winter Classic matchup between the Seattle Kraken and L.A. Kings at Hayward.

The second idea involves Hayward Field hosting a long-track speed skating World Cup event in January or February. This cross-up between two of the most popular summer and winter Olympic events would be unreal. While I am no expert on speed skating, I would only think that having track-meet-style races could be highly entertaining, especially if wind or snow becomes a factor. Though the University of Oregon might not permit either event, it doesn’t hurt to start the buzz.

Kenyan Emmanuel Wanyonyi plotting to break David Rudisha's 800m world record

Emmanuel Wanyonyi has made his intentions clear about breaking David Rudisha's world record.

Teenage sensation Emmanuel Wanyonyi believes his dream of breaking David Rudisha’s 800m world record is inching ever so closer.

Wanyonyi, the reigning world 800m silver medalist, told Sports Brief that he believes everything is possible and if Rudisha did it, he can also do it.

“In one of my first interviews, I said that I would break the world record. I want to use my talent to show people that it is possible.

"If David Rudisha did it, I can also do it. I just have to believe in my potential,” Wanyonyi said.

On his part, Rudisha first broke the world record on August 22, 2010, at the ISTAF World Challenge meeting in Berlin where he clocked 1:41.09 to win the race.

He then went ahead to break his own world record, clocking 1:40.91 set during the 2012 London Olympic Games that still stands to date.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old also talked about his training routine which has seen him achieve a number of feats in the 2023 season.

At just 19, he bagged a silver medal at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, finishing second behind Canada’s Marco Arop, 25.

He also won the Diamond League Meeting final, Prefontaine Classic, held at the Hayward Field in Eugene, USA.

Wanyonyi explained that his training includes a 20 to 25-kilometer run on alternate days. He also switches the running with fieldwork to work on speed, given that 800m is a combination of endurance and a little bit of sprinting towards the tail end.

Yared Nuguse Shatters American Mile Record At Prefontaine Classic

Yared Nuguse shattered the American record in the Bowerman Mile, finishing second to Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen in 3:43.97 at the Prefontaine Classic.EUGENE -- Yared Nuguse shattered the American record in the Bowerman Mile, finishing second to Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen in 3:43.97 at the Diamond League Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field.

Nuguse lowered the previous American mark of 3:46.91 set by Alan Webb in Belgium in 2007. His time now ranks fourth on the all-time world list.

“I feel like a 3:44, 45 felt reasonable, but 43 is the same second as the world record which is absolutely insane that we were able to do that today, but still (have) a great race,” Nuguse said.

Ingebrigtsen won the race in the third-fastest time in history 3:43.73, establishing new Diamond League, Pre Classic and European records while pulling the entire field to extraordinary performances. Everyone in the race clocked sub-3:54 and established either a new season best or personal best. There were also there national record and world U20 mark established.“I think he pushes all of us to be better, and that’s really huge," Nuguse said of Ingebrigtsen. "To have someone like this at the time same time that I’ve come to my peak is just really big, to make me catch things that I didn’t think were possible, like running 3:43.”

As expected, from the early going, this shaped up to be a two-man race between Ingebrigtsen and Nuguse. In the pre-meet press conference Nuguse stated that he wanted the American record. Ingebrigtsen playful told Nuguse to hang with him as long as he could and he just might get it.

And he was right.

Pacer extraordinaire Eric Sowinski kept the two runners on world-record pace, taking them through 800m in 1:51.67. When he stepped off slightly before 1200m, Ingebrigtsen had covered the next quarter in 56.06 with Nuguse right on his heels. The duo hit the bell in 2:47 and the race against the clock and each other was very much on.

“He does a very good race," Ingebrigtsen said of Nuguse. "Obviously he’s in a good enough shape to run what he does, but at the same time today I wanted to race where I could challenge myself to really set out at a decent pace, somewhat conservative, and then I go as hard as I could the last two laps to try to run as fast as I could. So it was very good.”As the two hit the back straight, it was apparent from the green LED pacing lights on the rail that they had fallen about two strides behind world-record pace but the intrigue was far from over. 

They remained tight rounding the next to last curve when Ingebrigtsen turned the screw with 150 to go and began to open slight daylight. Nuguse covered the move and pulled right back onto the heels of the leader.

Coming down the stretch, Nuguse grimaced as he tried to keep up with Ingebrigtsen, moving wide to lane two to try and get passed but he was unable to close the gap.

“This is gonna be my last chance for a while to beat him, I might as well just pour my whole heart into it," Nuguse said of his mindset late in the race. "It was the perfect race because I just felt very unbothered the entire time, so it was all just really gritting it out and seeing who could run faster. But you know, definitely tough competitor but still felt really good about it.”

Nuguse credited the passionate crowd at Hayward Field -- there were 12,634 ticketed spectators in attendance -- with providing him with the home-cooking spark he needed late in the race.

"“Definitely that third lap, I feel like having that crowd just going nuts was really huge," he said. "I could just feel they’re all cheering for me for once, when I feel like in Europe they’re mostly cheering for him. It was still just a really amazing crowd, I always love hearing a big roar, especially here in Eugene.”While Nuguse can kick back into the offseason and start recharging for the Olympic year -- he said, his plans are to “just have a ton of fun tonight, not think about running for a month” -- Ingebrigtsen has one more race to go in his season, and on a tight turnaround. The 5000m world champion is favored in tomorrow's men's 3000m.

"Obviously I was here to run the mile," Ingebrigtsen said of his focus. "I’m jumping in the 3k because I got the opportunity. But now it’s all about getting back home to the hotel, eat, sleep, try to prepare as good as I can and we’ll see tomorrow.”

After the meet ends, is  Ingebrigtsen's year done?

"Not quite," he said. "Hopefully getting married next weekend, so I think I have to prepare for that as well.”

Shericka Jackson maintains attack on Flo Jo's world record as she heads to Prefontaine Classic

Two-time World 200m champion Shericka Jackson will be eyeing the world record when she heads to the final Diamond League Meeting, the Prefontaine Classic, on Sunday.

She hoped to smash the late Florence Joyner’s record at the meeting in Brussels but missed out after clocking 21.48 to cross the finish line. The late Joyner’s record stands at 21.34 and Jackson is the only woman who has gotten close to the record.

She, however, has not lost hope and she wants to give her best shot when she races on US soil one more time.

The 29-year-old has sweet memories of the Hayward Field in Eugene since she won the 200m at last year’s edition of the event.

“I believe in myself, I believe in what I’m capable of doing. If it comes it comes if it doesn’t it’s okay. I’ll cool down, take a little break, and then prepare for next year.

But as I said the focus is on this year…if I get the record in Eugene, then it will be a plus but I won’t kill myself,” the Jamaican said.

She has been unbeaten so far this year in the 200m and that shows how formidable she is to take down the record.

The World 100m silver medalist opened her track season in the 200m at the Diamond League Meeting in Rabat, Morocco where she reigned supreme.

She also clinched top honors at the Jamaican Championships before also winning at the Gyulai István Memorial, a Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix.

She then proceeded to the Diamond League Meeting in Monaco before heading to the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where she defended her title.

After the World Championships, she competed at the Meetings in Zurich and Brussels where she bagged wins. She is now eyeing glory at the final Diamond League Meeting.

Wait … Is It Okay to Run in a Cemetery?

A strongly-worded sign in Eugene, Oregon, sparked debate: Fair game or a somber spot?

Just south of the University of Oregon, sits the Eugene Masonic Cemetery—a ten-acre hilly plot that’s filled with Douglas Fir Trees and wood-chip trails. In a city renowned for its rich running history, it’s relatively common to see runners using the paths as a neighborhood cut-through or spot to work in some hills. 

But last month, some residents started to notice red signs: “Runners, this is a cemetery NOT a training area.” The signs prodded discussion on Twitter, with some users scorning them while others emphasized the need to respect the dead. Some pointed out that seven blocks north is the Eugene Pioneer Cemetery, a slightly bigger area, which is a common warm-up spot for athletes competing at nearby Hayward Field. 

Cemeteries can be a confusing middle ground between a green space and a solemn place of remembrance, and it brings up an ethical question: When is it okay to run in a cemetery?

Striking a balance

The Eugene Masonic Cemetery is private property—it’s an active burial ground. But Shawn Walker, the president of the Board of the Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association, clarifies that outsiders are still welcome in the space.

“I think it can be helpful for visitors to keep in mind that the cemetery is first and foremost a cemetery,” he said to Runner’s World in an email. “Visitors come to the cemetery to grieve, remember those who have passed on, and seek solace. Other ‘non-cemetery’ related activities are fine and encouraged as long as the activities do not disrupt the cemetery’s primary role.”

Not all cemeteries are privately owned; different types have emerged over the years. Take the Oakland Cemetery in downtown Atlanta. Oakland is the oldest cemetery in the city, founded in 1850, but it’s also the oldest public park. 

The City of Atlanta owns the 48-acre space, but it operates differently from a church graveyard or military cemetery (don’t try to run in Arlington National Cemetery). Oakland is a “Victorian rural garden cemetery,” says Sandy White, the Director of Adult Programs and Volunteers at the Historic Oakland Foundation. Early cemeteries were connected with churches, but as cities grew, governments realized they needed more space to bury the dead, says White. But instead of a somber, religious space, these area were also used as parks.

In fact, during the Victorian period (1837 to 1901), it was common for families to visit cemeteries for leisure. During a time when diseases like yellow fever and cholera were rampant, families would pack a lunch and visit their dead relatives. Nowadays, you’re less likely to see a charcuterie board in front of a gravestone, but some cemeteries still retain those park-like qualities. 

Fifteen years ago, the Historic Oakland Foundation created the Run Like Hell 5K. “At the time, [the foundation] was really searching for things that would be good fundraisers and respectful of the grounds and of the people that are buried in Oakland, but at the same time, really serve the modern communities that were built up around,” White says.

The race—which features a costume contest—has become the largest cemetery race in the U.S. with 219 runners toeing the line at this year’s April edition. The money raised from the race helps keep the cemetery humming through beautification and preservation projects, and it’s a key part of Oakland’s identity as a public green space. 

“It’s every citizen in Atlanta’s park as much as it’s our cemetery,” White says.

Appreciation is key

Ultimately, running in a cemetery comes down to respect. 

Walker says the red signs at the Masonic Cemetery were put up after some runners started taking advantage of the open gates. He says training groups would come to the cemetery and disrupt the peace with drills like sprints and chain runs. Sometimes a coach would even shout and whistle at the athletes. 

“We felt that this type of activity and training was not consistent with the environment that we believe is important to maintain in the cemetery,” Walker says.

He admits the red signs might come off as harsh, but it’s tough to convey the message clearly.

“We love having visitors in the cemetery and part of our mission is to maintain and operate the cemetery as a resource for the community,” he says. “I believe it can be perfectly appropriate for runners to run in the cemetery as long as their activities are respectful to other visitors and to the space.”

Rob Rueff is familiar with this balance. His favorite race is a small 5K in Franklin, Indiana, called the Sparkler Sprint. Held on the 4th of July, the race is a fundraiser for the Franklin Community High School cross country team. The course meanders through a local park and the nearby Greenlawn Cemetery, and it reminds Rueff of trips to visit his grandparents as a child. In fact—the race literally goes past their graves. 

“It’s like I can feel them cheering me on as I reach the final quarter mile of the race,” he says. 

For Rueff, the cemetery is a reflective place of solace—but something he can combine with his passion for running. “When I’m training for races and I’ve hit a wall during training, I’ll drive down and run there,” he says. “I’ll make it a point to run by their graves just to check on things. It helps me clear my head and refocus on my training.”

Sarah Lorge Butler contributed to this report.

Sha'Carri Richardson gets ready for upcoming World Athletics Championships

Sha'Carri Richardson took to social media to announce that she was all set to compete in her next race at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, to be held in Budapest next month.

"My first real season and I'm loving the process of learning myself, pushing myself as well as knowing when to be still", she wrote.

"Budapest UP NEXT", she added. 

The 23-year-old won at the Silesia Diamond League in Poland on July 16, where she ran a thrilling dash of 100m in 10.76 seconds. This came after her splendid win at the USATF Outdoor Championships at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, on July 7, where Richardson completed the race in 10.71 seconds.

The 2023 World Athletics Championships to be held in Budapest will have a star-studded line-up. Along with Sherika Jackson, Sha'Carri Richardson will also be competing with the top Jamaican sprinter, Elaine Thompson, who has won the Olympic gold medal five times, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who has three Olympic gold medals to her name so far.

The face-off between the American and the Jamaican athletes would hence be a show to watch for in Budapest, Hungary.

Sha’Carri Richardson runs 100m world lead at U.S. Track and Field Championships

On the first day of the USATF Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson made a triumphant comeback, leaving spectators in awe as she blazed to a 100m world lead. Richardson set a new personal best and the fastest women’s 100m time of the year, clocking an impressive 10.71 seconds (+0.1 m/s).

During the heats of the women’s 100m on Thursday evening, Richardson delivered an outstanding performance, winning the first heat and securing her spot in Friday’s semi-finals. Her time not only surpassed her competitors by a significant margin but exceeded the previous world-leading time of 10.75 seconds set by Marie-Josee Ta Lou of Ivory Coast at the Oslo Diamond League just a month ago.

Richardson’s achievement was even more remarkable as she improved her best by one-tenth of a second from her previous record of 10.72 seconds, set in 2021 at the Miramar Invitational in Florida. Her new personal best now ranks as the sixth-fastest 100m time in history and the fourth-fastest ever by an American woman.

As anticipation grows, Richardson advances to the 100m semi-finals and ultimately aims for a spot in the final, scheduled for Friday evening. The stakes are high, as the top three U.S. sprinters in these races will earn the privilege to represent Team USA at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest next month. With her exceptional performance, Richardson is undoubtedly a strong contender for one of those positions.

Richardson’s journey hasn’t come without obstacles. Following her victory in the 100m at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, she faced a ban and disqualification due to a positive cannabis test, causing her to miss the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2022, she also faced challenges, failing to reach the final in the 100m and 200m at the U.S. Championships and missing out on qualification for the 2022 Worlds team.

The 2023 USATF Track and Field Championships are taking place from July 6 to 9 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore

10 Reasons to Start Following Track and Field This Year

The 2023 season should be full of record-breaking performances from the sport’s biggest stars. Here are the most important things to know. 

Track is back, and if the results from the indoor season and early outdoor meets are any indication, it should be another year of eye-popping results around 400-meter ovals this summer.

Why is track and field relevant to the average recreational runner?

Perhaps you’re running some of the same distances in your training and racing. Or maybe you have a connection to some of the events from your youth, days in gym class or on the playground. From a human performance perspective, no sport showcases the all-out speed, red-line endurance, max power, dynamic agility, and meticulous bodily control as track and field does.

Here’s a primer on the most awe-inspiring athletes and events of this summer’s track season. Because, come on: with a sport that includes events as multifaceted as the pole vault, as primal as the shot put, and as wild as the 3,000-meter steeplechase—a 1.8-mile race with 28 fixed barriers to hurdle and seven water pits to jump—what’s not to like?

One of the many things that makes track and field so special is that it’s one of the most diverse sports on the planet, both culturally and athletically.

Last summer, athletes from a record 29 different countries earned medals in the 25 different running, jumping, and throwing events at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

At the highest level, there are athletes of all shapes and sizes from every culture and socioeconomic background. While there certainly are racial and cultural stereotypes that need dissolving and vast inequality among competing countries, from a performance point of view the sport is largely meritocratic, based on the time or distance achieved in a given competition.

Watching American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone masterfully win the 400-meter hurdles in a world-record time last summer in front of a deafening crowd at Hayward Field in Eugene was a riveting experience. It was vastly different than watching Grenada’s Anderson Peters win the javelin world title with a career-best throw of 90.54 meters on his final attempt to beat India’s Neeraj Chopra, but both had edge-of-your-seat excitement, athletic excellence, and cultural significance.

One of the knocks against track and field in recent years is that it hasn’t done enough to attract casual fans the way professional football, basketball, hockey, and soccer have. Following the On Track Fest, the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix on May 26-27 in Los Angeles is trying to up the ante by combining a mix of elite-level competition, an interactive fan festival, and top-tier musical performances.

Billed as the one of the deepest track meets ever held on U.S. soil, it will feature a star-studded 400-meter face-off featuring Americans Michael Norman, the reigning world champion, and Kirani James, a three-time Olympic medalist from Grenada, and a women’s 100-meter hurdles clash with world champion Tobi Amusan of Nigeria, Olympic silver medalist Keni Harrison of the U.S., and Olympic gold medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico.

Saturday’s action will be broadcast live on NBC Sports from 4:30 P.M. to 6 P.M. ET and be followed by a concert event called the Legends Jam, which will include appearances from some legendary athletes and be headlined by Grammy-winning singer Judith Hill.

American sprint sensation Sha’Carri Richardson will be racing the 100-meter dash at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix. You probably remember her for her perceived failures more than the astounding times she’s actually achieved on the track.

Two years ago, the sprinter from Dallas blew away the field in the 100-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic Trials with a 10.86 effort, but then she was famously suspended after testing positive for cannabis (which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances) and missed the Tokyo Olympics as a result. (She admitted using the drug to cope with the pressure of qualifying for the Olympics while also mourning the recent death of her biological mother.)

Then last year, despite strong early season performances, Richardson failed to make the finals of the 100-meter or 200-meter at the U.S. championships, so she missed out on running in the first world championships held on American soil.

This year, the 23-year-old sprinter appears to be locked in and better than ever, posting a world-leading 10.76 100-meter time on May 5 in Doha (she also ran an eye-popping 10.57 with an over-the-limit tailwind on April 9 in Florida) and posted the second-fastest time in the 200-meter (22.07) on May 13 at a meet in Kenya.

If she keeps it all together, expect Richardson to finally contend with elite Jamaican sprinters Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the 100 and 4×100-meter relay in August at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

A few years ago, American sprinter Fred Kerley was on his way to becoming one of the world’s best 400-meter runners. But he wanted more than that. What he really had his heart set on was becoming the world’s fastest man, a moniker that goes with the most dominant sprinter in the 100-meter dash.

Ignoring doubters, Kerley retooled his training and earned the silver medal in the 100-meter at the Tokyo Olympics (.04 seconds behind Italy’s Marcell Jacobs) and then continued his ascent last year by winning the U.S. championships (in 9.76, the sixth-fastest time in history) and world championships (9.86).

The 28-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, also became one of just two other runners (along with American Michael Norman and South African Wayde van Niekerk) to ever run sub-10 seconds in the 100-meter, sub-20 seconds in the 200-meter, and sub-44 seconds in the 400-meter. So far this year, Kerley has two of the four fastest 100-meter times of the season, including a speedy 9.88 on May 21 in Japan.

After trading barbs on social media this spring, Kerley and Jacobs are expected to face off in an epic 100-meter showdown on May 28 at a Diamond League meet in Rabat, Morocco, marking the first time the Olympic gold medalist and the world champion in the men’s 100m face off since the 2012 Olympic final, when Jamaican Usain Bolt beat countryman Yohan Blake. American Trayvon Bromell, the silver medalist at last year’s world championships, is also in the field, so it should be an extraordinary tilt.

If you’re a gambler, bet on Kerley to win that one and eventually get close to Bolt’s 9.58 world record. (To do so, he’ll be running faster than 26 miles per hour!) But don’t count out Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, the early world leader (9.84), or fellow American sub-9.9 guys Bromell, Norman, Christian Coleman, and Noah Lyles at the 2023 World Athletics Championships on August 20, in Budapest. Depending on which three Americans join Kerley (who has an automatic qualifier) at the world championships, it’s actually quite likely the U.S. could sweep the top four spots in the 100 in Budapest.

If you’ve ever wanted to see the world’s top track and field stars competing live in the U.S., this is the year to do it. The May 26-27 USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix meet and June 3-4 Portland Track Festival are part of what might be the mosst compelling outdoor track season ever held on U.S. soil.

If you’re looking for an athlete to marvel at, start with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the gold medalist in the 400-meter hurdles at the Olympics in 2021 and World Athletics Championships last summer. She’s been one of the sport’s rising stars since she was a teenager and yet she’s only 23. Her trajectory is still rising—especially since she moved to Los Angeles to train under coach Bob Kersee. Driven by her strong faith, McLaughlin-Levrone is the personification of hard work, grace and competitiveness.

This year she’ll temporarily step away from her primary event to show off her pure sprinting prowess when she opens her season in a “flat” 400-meter race at the Diamond League meet in Paris on June 9. Her personal best in the 400-meter is 50.07 seconds, set when she was a freshman at the University of Kentucky, but she clocked a speedy 50.68 while running over hurdles, en route to a world-record setting win at last summer’s world championships.

Her best 400-meter split as part of a 4×400-meter relay is 47.91, so it’s within reason to think she could be one of several runners to challenge the long-standing world record of 47.60 set in 1985 by East German Marita Koch. Because McLaughlin-Levrone has an automatic qualifier to the world championships in the 400-meter hurdles, she will likely run the open 400-meter at the U.S. championships and decide after the meet which one she’ll focus on.

American 800-meter ace Athing Mu has looked unbeatable for the past several years as she won Olympic gold in the event at the Tokyo Olympics and last year’s world championships. In fact, she has been unbeatable, having won 13 straight races since she dropped out of a mile race at the Millrose Games in January 2022. Going back to 2020 (when she was a senior in high school) and 2021 (during her one season at Texas A&M), she’s finished first in 51 of her past 53 races (relays included), with her only loss being a narrow runner-up finish to Kaelin Roberts in the 400-meter at the 2021 NCAA indoor championships.

Mu, who is also coached by Kersee and trains with McLaughlin-Levrone, seems to be the most likely athlete to challenge the women’s 800-meter world record of 1:53.28, set in 1983 by the Czech Republic’s Jarmila Kratochvílová. It’s the longest standing record in track and field, and only two runners have come within a second of it in the past 15 years. Her personal best of 1:55.04 is an American record and the eighth-fastest time in history. She’s still only 20 years old, so she has many years to keep improving and other historic opportunities ahead of her.

Mu said earlier this year she’d like to try a 400-800-meter double at an Olympics or world championships if the schedule permits—it’s only been done once successfully by Cuba’s Alberto Juantorena at the 1976 Games—but her coach has said she might attempt a 800-1,500-meter double next year at the Paris Olympics.

This year, Mu will run the 1,500 meters at the USATF Championships in July, but will likely defend her 800-meter title at the world championships in Budapest, as well as potentially running on the U.S. women’s 4×400-meter relay and the mixed-gender 4×400-meter relay (with McLaughlin-Levrone) for an opportunity to win three gold medals in a single championships.

With apologies to quarterback extraordinaire Patrick Mahomes, gymnastics all-arounder Simone Biles, and skiing superstar Mikela Shiffrin, pole vaulter Armand Duplantis just might be the most dynamically talented athlete in the world. That’s because he’s the world’s most dominant athlete (and has set six world records) in arguably the most demanding discipline, not only in track and field but quite possibly in any sport. No sport discipline involves such a dynamic combination of speed, power, precision and agility, and Duplantis, who is only 23, is already the greatest of all-time.

Prove me wrong or watch him set his latest world record (6.22 meters or 20 feet, 5 inches) at an indoor meet on February 25 in Clermont-Ferrand, France. That’s the equivalent of vaulting onto the roof of a two-story building, and in his case, often with room to spare.

Duplantis, who grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana, to athletic parents with Swedish and Finnish heritage, represents Sweden in international competitions. He started pole vaulting at age three, set his first of 11 age-group world-best marks at age seven, and won an NCAA title in 2019 as a freshman competing for LSU before turning pro.

All indications are that North Carolina State junior Katelyn Tuohy could become the next American running star. All she has done since she was young is win races and break records.

After winning the NCAA outdoor 5,000-meter a year ago, she won the NCAA cross country title in November. During the indoor track season this past winter, she set a new collegiate mile record (4:24.26) and won both the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter title at the NCAA indoor championships in March. On May 7, the 21-year-old from Thiells, New York, broke the NCAA outdoor 5,000-meter record by 17 seconds, clocking 15:03.12 at the Sound Running On Track Fest.

Tuohy will be running both the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter at the NCAA East Regional May 24-27 in Jacksonville, Florida, with the hopes of eventually advancing to the finals of both events at the June 7-10 NCAA Division I championship meet in Austin, Texas.

University of Arkansas junior Britton Wilson is a top collegiate star who is ready for prime time at the pro level. She won the 400-meter in a world-leading and collegiate record time of 49.13 in mid-May at the SEC Championships, where she also won the 400-meter hurdles (53.23) in a world-leading time. The 22-year-old from Richmond, Virginia, was the runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles at last year’s U.S. championships and fifth in the world championships, and could contend for a spot on Team USA in either event at the July 6-9 U.S. championships.

Kerley and Lyles are expected to square off in a 200-meter race at the USATF New York Grand Prix meet on June 24 at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in New York City. There are also two high-level Puma American Track League meets in Tennessee—the Music City Track Carnival June 2 in Nashville and the Ed Murphey Classic August 4-5 in Memphis—and two Under Armour Sunset Tour meets organized by Sound Running on July 22 in Los Angeles and July 29 in Baltimore.

The best U.S. meet of the year, though, will be the USATF Outdoor Championships held July 6-9 in Eugene, Oregon, where American athletes will be vying for top-three finishes to earn a chance to compete for Team USA at the 2023 World Athletics Championships August 19-27 in Budapest.

The U.S. season will culminate with the September 16-17 Pre Classic in Eugene, Oregon, a two two-day meet that will double as the finals of the international Diamond League circuit and should include many of the top athletes who will be representing their countries in next summer’s Paris Olympics. (And if you want to see the country’s top high school athletes run unfathomable times for teenagers, check out the Brooks PR Invitational on June 14 in Seattle, Washington.)

At the June 2 Diamond League meet in Rome, Italy, the men’s field in the 5,000-meter run will have what might be the fastest field ever assembled, with 13 runners who have personal best times of 12:59 or faster.

The field will be headlined by Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, who lowered the world record to 12:35.36 in Monaco three years ago. (That’s a pace of 4:03 per mile!). But it will also include Kenya’s Jacob Krop (12:45.71) and Nicholas Kipkorir (12:46.33), Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha (12:46.79), American Grant Fisher (12:46.79), Canadian Mohammed Ahmed (12:47.20), and Guatemalan-American Luis Grijalva (13:02.94), among others. With a big prize purse at stake and pacesetters ramping up the speed from the start, it should be a race for the ages.

Ratified: world records for Yehualaw, Knighton, Nugent and Mokoka

Women’s world 10km record (mixed race)29:14 Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) Castellon 27 February 2022

Men’s world U20 200m record19.69 Erriyon Knighton (USA) Eugene 26 June 2022

Women’s world U20 indoor 60m hurdles record7.92 Ackera Nugent (JAM) Fayetteville 13 March 2021

Men’s world 50km record2:40:13 Stephen Mokoka (RSA) Gqeberha 6 March 2022

The world 10km record of 29:14 set by Yalemzerf Yehualaw in Castellon on 27 February has been ratified.

The world U20 marks by Erriyon Knighton in the 200m and Ackera Nugent in the 60m hurdles are also now officially in the record books, as is the world 50km record set by Stephen Mokoka.

In Castellon, Yehualaw became the first woman in history to dip under the 29:30 and 29:20 barriers on the roads, running 29:14 to improve the ratified record of 29:43 set by Joyciline Jepkosgei in Prague on 9 September 2017 and the mark of 29:38 achieved on 3 October 2021 by Bahrain’s Kalkidan Gezahegne in Geneva.

In a race held under ideal weather conditions, and with pacing assistance from Dutch distance runner Richard Douma, Yehualaw set off at a swift pace. They covered the opening kilometre in 2:51 and by 3km, reached in 8:36, Yehualaw was on target for a sub-29-minute finish.She went through halfway in 14:28 – one of the fastest 5km clockings in history – and was still inside 29-minute pace. The Ethiopian slowed a bit during the second half, but a final kilometre of 2:52 (and a second half of 14:46) was enough to carry her to a 29:14 finish.

“I knew I had the world record in my legs and wanted to produce a challenging performance for any athletes who may attempt the record in the near future,” she said.

Knighton achieved his world U20 200m record at the US Championships on 26 June, running 19.69 to improve on his own previous ratified record of 19.84, also set at Hayward Field in Eugene on 27 June 2021. Knighton had opened his season with a time of 19.49 in Baton Rouge, but that mark could not be ratified as a world U20 record because specific anti-doping testing requirements were not met.

Nugent, meanwhile, achieved her world U20 indoor 60m hurdles record when winning at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville on 13 March 2021. Other performances that were faster than the previous ratified world record of 8.00 set by Klaudia Siciarz in Torun on 18 February 2017 – including Nugent’s own 7.91 earlier in 2021 – did not fulfil all the criteria for ratification. Nugent’s 7.92 does meet the criteria, so becomes the world U20 record.

In March this year, Mokoka ran 2:40:13 at the Nedbank Runified 50km in Gqeberha to improve on the inaugural world 50km record of 2:42:07 that had been set by Ethiopia’s Ketema Negasa at the same event last year.

Mokoka is now the official world 50km record-holder, although CJ Albertson clocked 2:38:43 in San Francisco on 8 October, and that performance has also been submitted for record ratification.

Steve Prefontaine's Nike Oregon Waffle shoes sell for USD$163,800

A pair of Nike Oregon Waffle shoes worn by distance runner Steve Prefontaine has been sold for USD $163,800 on the auction site, Sothebys.com.This pair of Oregon Waffle sneakers in a men’s size 9.5, including the original laces and blue insoles, was worn and owned by Prefontaine. The sneaker is finished in a nylon upper in the University of Oregon’s signature yellow and green colourway. Prefontaine is widely considered the greatest U.S. runner of all time.

The waffle pattern was developed by Oregon track and field coach and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman.

These are the first pair of Pre’s shoes to be publicly sold, which is notable considering the lasting impact he had on Nike, the most iconic sneaker company in the world: Nike.

Prefontaine was the first runner signed by Nike and jump-started the brand as a running shoe company.The auction for the shoe opened on Sept. 6, and the bidding began at $100,000.

From 1969 through the mid-1970s, Pre dominated the sport, setting eight NCAA records during his time at the University of Oregon and competing in the 5,000m at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. In 1975, Prefontaine died in a car accident in Eugene, Ore.

The winner of the auction will now get to hold on to a unique piece of running history. Each year, Prefontaine’s career and life are celebrated at the Prefontaine Classic, a world-class Diamond League track event held at Hayward Field in Eugene, in his honour.

Olympic hurdler Devon Allen cut from Philadelphia Eagles roster

It has been a summer to forget for American champion hurdler Devon Allen. A dual-sport athlete, Allen balances separate careers as a track star and professional football player. Unfortunately, both of these endeavours have taken tough hits in the past couple of months. At the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July, Allen was disqualified in the 110m hurdle final, and on Tuesday, he was cut from the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. 

In 2021, Allen had an incredible season on the track. He won multiple races and charged to a fourth-place finish in the 110mH at the Tokyo Olympics, which marked his second appearance at the Games (he finished fifth in 2016). In April of this year, things got even better as he signed a three-year deal with the Eagles. (Allen was a wide receiver at the University of Oregon, where he also ran track, but hadn’t returned to the field since his final year of college in 2016.) 

Just a few months after signing with the Eagles, Allen ran a world-leading PB of 12.84 seconds, and looked poised to medal at the world championships, which were being held at his alma mater in Oregon. He flew through the heats and semi-finals at Eugene’s Hayward Field, but when he got to the final, he was called for a false start and subsequently disqualified. Grant Holloway, Allen’s compatriot, proceeded to take the gold in 13.03. 

There was a lot of controversy surrounding Allen’s DQ, as he left the blocks just a single thousandth of a second too soon (a difference undetectable to the naked eye). The starting blocks are equipped with electronic sensors to monitor each runner’s reaction time; the minimum allowable reaction time is 0.1 seconds, and Allen’s posted time was 0.099. It was the smallest of margins to ruin a star athlete’s dreams of a gold medal on home soil, but the officials had no choice but to accept the information provided by the sensors and disqualify Allen. 

Now, just a month after that crushing blow, Allen has been cut from Philadelphia’s 53-man roster. He spent the previous month at the team’s training camp, which included a game against the Cleveland Browns in which Allen caught a 55-yard touchdown. His pre-season performances weren’t enough to earn him an official spot on the roster, though, and he will have to hope to be given a spot on Philadelphia’s practice squad.

Shalane Flanagan takes coaching role at University of Oregon

U.S. Olympic medallist and 2017 New York City Marathon champion Shalane Flanagan announced on her social media that she’ll be joining the University of Oregon coaching staff as an assistant coach to help lead the team’s distance program.

Since 2019, Flanagan has been an assistant coach for the Nike Bowerman Track Club alongside Jerry Schumacher, who was recently named head coach of Oregon’s track and field program.

During her career and guidance, Flanagan has been part of the emergence of the Bowerman Track Club, which is considered one of the top running groups in North America.

Flanagan joined Bowerman Track Club in 2009 and made two U.S. Olympic teams in the marathon (2012 and 2016). In 2012, Flanagan finished 10th and in Rio 2016, she finished sixth in 2:25:26.

In 2017, Flanagan ended a 40-year winless drought for American women at the New York City Marathon by winning the prestigious event.

Flanagan made her Olympic debut in 2004 when she was 23, and returned in 2008 to win a silver medal in the 10,000m. Flanagan also has a bronze medal to her credit from the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Spain.

Flanagan, now 41, is an 18-time U.S. champion with six titles in each discipline (track, road and XC). She won two of her 18 titles at the Historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore, which is the training ground for the University of Oregon track and field program.

In 2019, she announced her retirement from running but then paused her retirement in 2021 to complete all six Abbott Marathon Majors in seven weeks. She ended up finishing all six races in under three hours.

Tsegay wins women’s 5000m world title after dramatic last lap

It was a 5000m race that came down to the final 100m, Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay using her 1500m speed to prevail in a thrilling sprint finish and gain her first global outdoor gold on the penultimate day of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.

The world indoor 1500m record-holder, who claimed the indoor title in that discipline in Belgrade in March, returned to the track five days after claiming 1500m silver behind Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon at Hayward Field and she had the 5000m title as her target. After a tactical test, she achieved her aim, clocking 14:46.29 as little more than a second separated the top three. Kenya’s 2018 world U20 winner Beatrice Chebet was right behind her, securing silver in 14:46.75, while Ethiopia’s Dawit Seyaum got bronze in 14:47.36.

Three years after placing runner-up to her compatriot Hellen Obiri – the two-time world 5000m champion who focused on the 10,000m in Oregon – Margaret Kipkemboi finished fourth in 14:47.71 and Ethiopia’s recently-crowned 10,000m champion, Letesenbet Gidey, was fifth in 14:47.98, one place ahead of Netherlands’ double Olympic champion Sifan Hassan in 14:48.12.

“The hard times were at the Olympics in Tokyo, because I was injured there” said Tsegay, who still managed to race for 1500m bronze at last year’s Games. “Not today.”

With a final 1500m of 4:14.59 and a last lap of 59.95, the 25-year-old pulled away from Chebet and Seyaum down the home straight, executing her plan.

“I have been training well for 1500m and this helps sprint on the home stretch,” added Tsegay, who claimed her 2014 world U20 1500m silver in Eugene. “I know that Sifan is a top athlete and she is also a 1500m runner, so she has the speed. When she came in front, I sped up even more and won the medal.”

It was that attack from Hassan at the bell that launched Tsegay into action. Always near the front, Tsegay led through the first 1000m in 3:14.21 ahead of Kazakhstan’s Caroline Chepkoech Kipkirui, Seyaum and Gidey. Gidey and Tsegay continued to take turns at the front and Tsegay was to the fore as 3000m was reached in 9:02.79. The world 10,000m champion was a stride ahead with four laps to go as she and Tsegay continued to control the race, with Chebet right behind them.

Glancing over her shoulder with three laps remaining, Tsegay led the 10-strong group and Gidey moved ahead along the back straight. One lap later, Tsegay kicked ahead, but not by enough to shake off her rivals. With her eyes on the big screen, she could see Hassan move from seventh to fifth, and by the time they reached the bell the Olympic champion was on her shoulder.

The race was down to a six-strong battle for the medals. With Tsegay in front, Hassan moved ahead of Gidey as they ran down the back straight for the final time, taking the inside line to challenge Tsegay on the bend. Chebet was running wide, but holding her place. As they left the curve, Hassan no longer seemed the biggest threat, with Chebet providing the challenge. But no one could match Tsegay’s finishing speed and she strode ahead down the home straight, on her way to victory. Chebet held on for silver, as Seyaum came through for bronze.

“It was a matter of tactics,” said Chebet, whose CV includes the 2019 world U20 cross country title as well as her 2018 world U20 track win. “I was well positioned.

“Although I am young, I've run many races with elite athletes at the Diamond League. They are not new to me. This medal will make a good difference for me.”

For Seyaum, the bronze medal was welcome after years of injuries. “I hoped to get a place on the podium,” she said. “I hoped and expected to become a medallist in this event. For five years, I was having injuries, so this result is very special for me.”

And Hassan, who finished fourth in the 10,000m seven days earlier, explained how she was happy to be back on the international stage. “I started to train like two months ago and today, I did my best and I gave everything,” she said. “For me, it is important if I give everything and race smart, it does not matter what the position is.

“I think I really overworked last year, so I wanted to have a break mentally, because athletics is not only about running but also about motivation. I took an almost seven-month break. I am happy to be back, and I will try for more golds next year.”

Abby Steiner Delivers a Solid Debut at the World Championships

Last night in Eugene, Oregon, Abby Steiner placed fifth in the world in the 200 meters, with a time of 22.26. She was the top American. Her 21.77 at U.S. championships a few weeks ago was the second-fastest time in the world this year coming into the World Championships. She’s the sixth fastest American ever in the event. 

“It was just such a great learning experience,” she said. “I got to compete against some of the people I have looked up to for so long in this sport.”

Nearly every time she’s raced a 200 so far this year (and she’s been in a lot of races), Steiner is clearly in the front. She usually gets out of the blocks well and comes off the turn leading. This was the first time this year the lanes around her were filled by women who are just as fast as her, or faster. 

The 200m Final at the World Athletics Championships

Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson won the race in 21.45, a championship record. She’s the second fastest woman ever in the event after Florence Griffth-Joyner, who ran 21.34 in 1988. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, also of Jamaica, finished second in 21.81, after winning the 100 meters a few days ago. Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith finished third in 22.02, after setting a national record in the 100 final a few days ago, where she finished fourth. 

The very American crowd in Hayward Field had their eyes on Steiner. Nobody really knows anything about her; her Instagram page doesn’t provide anything substantial about her—other than the fact that she’s very, very fast. But we already knew that. 

Sports have always been a huge part of her life; Steiner even played soccer at Kentucky in addition to running track when she first got to college. Her degree is in exercise science, and if she weren’t a track athlete, she’d want to be a physical therapist. She’s passionate about the mechanical, physiological lens of running, even though she has unconventional form. She has a dramatic left arm swing that makes her form recognizable from across the stadium. 

What the Future Holds for Abby Steiner

Steiner has deferred an acceptance into a Masters program in physical therapy for the foreseeable future while she does pro running full time. “It’s been a dream of mine for a very long time,” she said. “I want to give back the way those people gave back to me. As an athlete I know that injury is inevitable.” She pulled her ACL playing soccer in high school, and that was a pivotal moment for her: Sports are all she knows, and what she loves was momentarily taken away from her. 

Beyond sports, she’s “really into crossword puzzles right now.” I double-taxed and told her she can’t be serious and she laughed. “I also do jigsaw puzzles,” she said. Strenuous hobbies are not for her, as her career is already strenuous and she wants to take the time to decompress and chill out very seriously. She said she spends a good amount of time alone and is trying to read 25 books this year. She’s already 14 deep, and currently reading The Invitation by Lucy Foley. 

She’s also interested in bringing fashion to track and field. She signed with Puma this week and the new Puma uniform only has one shoulder. “I love that fashion is coming back into track and field. Bold uniforms, bold hairstyles, makeup, I love it,” she said. “I honestly feel like when I look good I run good. I feel like my confidence exudes itself on the track.” During our interview, her entire outfit was the same color blue and she had matching blue nails—a nod to her alma mater, the University of Kentucky, where she just graduated but plans to continue living and training. 

Steiner really likes and trusts her college coach and doesn’t want to part with him. “My coach is one of the main reasons I’m in this position. He completely developed me from freshman year until now.” Lexington is also not far from her hometown of Columbus, Ohio, which is where her family lives. 

Steiner was fifth in the world, but she’s just turned 22. Fraser-Pryce is 35. Jackson is 28. Steiner’s got time. We’ll be hearing her name for a while. 

3 Ways to Be a Better Marathoner, From the Fourth-Place Finisher at Worlds

Cam Levins took two minutes off his own Canadian record. He has thoughts

At the Tokyo Olympics last year, Cam Levins had a rough time of it. He finished in 72nd place—out of 76—in 2:28:43. 

Fast forward to July 17 in Eugene, Oregon, and Levins had a vastly different result at the World Championships marathon: fourth in 2:07:09, breaking his own Canadian record from 2018. 

“I would only have been happier if I was one place higher,” Levins, 33, said in the moments immediately after the race. “But it was the best race of my life. I couldn’t be disappointed with it.” 

It wasn’t by accident. Levins, who lives in Portland, Oregon, came away from his Tokyo experience, determined to overhaul his approach. 

“I needed to be better in every way, across the board,” he said. “I changed myself completely as an athlete last year to this year. Training harder and better in every conceivable way.”

A few hours after his race, Levins stood outside Hayward Field and explained his transformation to Runner’s World, while jubilant Canadian track fans stood by to listen, take photos, and congratulate him. 

How did Levins do it? And what can runners who aren’t in the elite ranks take from his lessons? He shared three tips. 

Take an objective look at training

Levins broke the longstanding Canadian record when he debuted in 2018, running 2:09:25. Then he had a series of sub-par races over the next three years. 

After Tokyo, Levins decided he needed to return to his high-mileage ways. (When he was an undergraduate at Southern Utah University, where he was a two-time NCAA champion, he was notorious for putting in 150–160 miles per week.) 

For this marathon, he got up to 170 miles per week in March and held it for several weeks, sometimes working out twice per day. (About once every three weeks, he’d do 5 x 2,000 meters in the morning, and 20 x 400 meters in the evening.) 

The point isn’t that Levins runs high mileage and everyone else should, too. Keira D’Amato, the American record holder in the marathon, rarely breaks 100 miles per week. 

Levins’s lesson is about channeling frustration into change. Last summer, “I think I was really disappointed in myself,” he said. “I think it's important to just take a look at your training and kind of think, ‘What am I missing?’” 

Don’t neglect strength 

Levins was getting injured frequently, and he struggled late in marathons. Since Tokyo, he has been religious about his strength training, which allows him to maintain his epic volume and finish strong in races. 

“I think it makes such a huge difference late in the marathon,” he said. “It's not like you've been breathing that hard. It’s your body. You’re so worn out from running that much.” 

His routine consists of four parts—single-leg exercises, mobility work, core strengthening, and deadlifts, and he does it with the help of David McHenry, a strength coach in Portland.

“Of everything I’ve done, that's been the single most important change that I’ve made,” Levins said. 

Marathoners need speed, too

Levins trained his track speed during the marathon build. He ran 27:53 for 10,000 meters on the track in April, and occasionally, he incorporated elements of mile speed into his workouts, he said. 

He’d do repeats as short as 200 meters and short, 30-second hill repeats, as a way of “recruiting different muscle fibers,” he said. Like strength training, it’s easy to neglect amid the long runs and marathon pace work.

It paid off: In Eugene, Levins ran his final kilometer in 3:01 and outlasted Kenyan great Geoffrey Kamworor for fourth place.

Mascot's head safely returned at World Championships

An evening of captivating finishes on the track on Monday was followed by shock when Legend the Bigfoot mascot’s head was reported stolen at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore. But Legend was back to his usual antics Tuesday evening, such as cooling off in the steeplechase water pit and dancing to entertain the fans.

Using CCTV and the help of social media, event organizers discovered footage of unidentified men laughing and joking as they played with Legend’s head. The investigation was then turned over to the police. Organizers stated: “We can confirm that an accredited photographer was removed from Hayward Field in connection to the investigation of a theft at the venue. This is now a police matter, and we won’t have further comments at this time.”

A committee chose the seven-foot-tall giant yellow Bigfoot to be the accredited mascot earlier in the year, in a nod to the Pacific Northwest centuries-old mythology surrounding Bigfoot. Legend has been a fan favourite since the beginning of the championships.

Thankfully, Legend reappeared on Tuesday. Organizing committee CEO Sarah Massey called Legend “an extension of the event itself,” and he has been described (and was created) to be “fun, mischievous, playful, and larger than life.” This recent mischief clearly went just a little too far for Legend, and fans will hope to enjoy his large furry high-fives for the rest of the Championships, head intact.

Three Americans will be running the women’s 5,000 meters finals at World Athletics Championships on Saturday

American Elise Cranny, who trains with the Bowerman Track Club, was the top U.S. qualifier to earn a berth in the final with a time of 14 minutes, 53.20 seconds in the second heat. Cranny finished first in the event at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships last month at Hayward Field.

Running in the first heat, Karissa Schweizer, who also trains with the Bowerman Track Club, qualified for the final with a time of 14:53.69. Schweizer won the 10,000 meters at the USA championships and finished second to Cranny in the 5,000.

American Emily Infeld also advanced to the final as a time qualifier after finishing sixth behind Schweizer in the second heat in 15:00.98.

German Koko Klosterhalfen, who trains at the Portland-based Union Athletics Club, failed to qualify for the final after posting a time of 15:17.78.

The final is scheduled for 6:25 p.m. Saturday.

McLaughlin obliterates world 400m hurdles record with 50.68 in Oregon

Sydney McLaughlin has broken the world 400m hurdles record for the fourth time of her career, obliterating her previous best with 50.68 to win her first world title in the event at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 on Friday (22).

In another epic race in front of a passionate home crowd, the 22-year-old Olympic champion raised the bar yet again. Behind her, Netherlands’ Olympic bronze medallist Femke Bol secured silver in 52.27, while USA’s former world record-holder Dalilah Muhammad clocked 53.13 for bronze.

It is the third world record that McLaughlin has set at Hayward Field. Her first came at the 2021 US Olympic Trials, when she clocked 51.90 to improve on the 52.16 global mark that Muhammad had set when winning the 2019 world title ahead of her compatriot.

Just over a month later, McLaughlin ran 51.46 to win the Olympic title in Tokyo, and she broke the record for a third time at this year’s US Championships in Eugene on 25 June, clocking 51.41.

(Third photo of Sydney taken at USATF Championships. Photo by Jivko)  

Jamaica's Shericka Jackson edges Fraser-Pryce to win world 200m gold

Jamaica's Shericka Jackson outgunned compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on the back straight to win 200m gold at the World Athletics Championships on Thursday.

Jackson set a championship record of 21.45 seconds, the second fastest time ever run over the distance, for a first individual world title at Hayward Field, Eugene.

Newly-crowned 100m gold medalist Fraser-Pryce took silver in 21.81sec, with defending champion Dina Asher-Smith of Britain claiming bronze (22.02).

All eyes had been on Fraser-Pryce, sporting a long mane of dyed purple hair, in her bid for a second sprint double after having achieved the feat at the 2013 Moscow worlds.

Fast out of the blocks in lane six, Fraser-Pryce rocketed past Niger's Aminatou Seyni in no time, running a great bend to hit the back stretch neck-and-neck with Jackson, in four.

As the two Jamaicans went head-to-head, Jackson put on the afterburners and pulled away in impressive style, not giving up until she thundered through the line.

Fraser-Pryce swept through on her coattails, with Asher-Smith holding off Seyni for bronze.

Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, the third part of Jamaica's cleansweep of the 100m along with Fraser-Pryce and Jackson, eventually came in seventh in 22.39sec.

Caster Semenya unnoticed at World Championships The South African Olympic champion fails to advance in the 5,000 meters in Oregon – her first major international competition since 2017

How many times had South Africa’s Caster Semenya charged onto the Hayward Field homestretch seemingly in a different race than the rest of the pack, the sport’s most storied stadium rocking as Semenya raced into the deafening roar?

How many times had American track and field’s most knowledgeable fans, most passionate crowd stood in appreciation of the two-time Olympic, three-time World 800-meter champion?

On a scalding hot afternoon at the World Championships on Wednesday, Semenya labored through the final meters of her 5,000-meter heat in front of a half-empty stadium, largely ignored or unnoticed even in a place that calls itself Tracktown U.S.A.

Semenya, one of the most compelling and controversial athletes of her generation, has fallen so far off the sport’s radar since 2019 that the most well-known of her fellow competitors on Wednesday didn’t even realize she was in the competition.

“Caster?” asked Sifan Hassan, the Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 champion from the Netherlands, who ran in a later heat on Wednesday.

“Caster Semenya ran the 5,000?” Hassan asked again. “ I had no idea. I didn’t even know she was here. Did she make it?”

Semenya, running in her first major international competition since winning the 2017 Worlds 800 title, did not advance to the final, finishing 13th in her heat, running 15 minutes, 46.12 seconds, nearly a minute off the winning time of Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia (14:52.69).

“Cooking,” Semenya said after the race, referring to the heat. She declined to answer reporters’ questions.

Under different circumstances, the sport would be obsessing over the prospect of a showdown between Semenya, 31, and Athing Mu, the 20-year-old Olympic champion from the U.S. in Sunday’s 800 final and whether the pair could challenge the world record of 1:53.28 that was set by Czechoslovakia’s Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983.

Instead, Semenya, who was assigned female at birth, raised as a girl and identifies as a woman has not raced the 800 in meets sanctioned by World Athletics, the sport’s international governing body, because of her refusal to submit to the organization’s guidelines regarding intersex athletes.

Under the World Athletics guidelines athletes in events from the 400 to the mile – in other words, Semenya’s events – are required to take hormone suppressing drugs to reduce their testosterone to below 5 nanomoles per liter for at least six months before being allowed to compete internationally.

Semenya has an intersex condition called Differences in Sexual Development (DSD) or 46, XY that because of differences in sex development that causes male and female traits and a testosterone level higher than the typical female range. She is not transgender.

“I am a woman and I am a world-class athlete,” Semenya said in 2019, shortly before the Prefontaine Classic, her final 800. “The IAAF will not drug me or stop me from being who I am.”

Semenya had found herself unwittingly in the center of controversy almost from the moment she emerged on the world stage a decade earlier.

She won her first Worlds title in 2009 as an 18-year-old, a victory that prompted Russia’s Mariya Savinova to suggest the South African was a man.

“Just look at her,” Savinova said.

While the results of Semenya’s sex test were supposed to be confidential they were leaked to Australia’s Daily Telegraph. Semenya has internal testes but no ovaries or womb, the newspaper reported quoting the test report.

“She is a woman, but maybe not 100 percent,” IAAF secretary general Pierre Weiss said at the time, doing nothing to discourage the headline writers at New York’s Daily News who blared that the World champion “is a woman … and a man.”

Semenya began taking a hormone suppressant drug. She finished second to Savinova at both the 2011 Worlds and 2012 Olympics.

“The IAAF used me in the past as a human guinea pig to experiment with how the medication they required me to take would affect my testosterone levels,” she said in 2019. “Even though the hormonal drugs made me feel constantly sick the IAAF now wants to enforce even stricter thresholds with unknown health consequences.

“I will not allow the IAAF to use me and my body again. But I am concerned that other female athletes will feel compelled to let the IAAF drug them and test the effectiveness and negative health effects of different hormonal drugs. This cannot be allowed to happen.”

Semenya was awarded the 2012 Olympic gold medal in 2017, two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency recommended that Savinova receive a lifetime ban for doping and her results dating to July 2010 be disqualified.

Given the event’s suspect history, the irony of World Athletics now demanding she dope to level the playing field is not lost on Semenya.

“I’m not going to do that,” she told the Orange County Register after the 2019 Prefontaine meet. “I’m a very clean athlete. I believe in the clean sport. I believe in the equal opportunities. At the end of the day, this is a woman’s sport, this is a man’s sport. If they’re going come (at) me with that nonsense then why do you lead?”

Semenya challenged World Athletics guidelines with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A three-member CAS panel in June 2019 said the World Athletics policy was “discriminatory” toward athletes with DSD but two of the panel members, nevertheless agreed with the World Athletics that policy was “necessary, reasonable and proportionate” to counter advantages DSD athletes have over other female competitors. Semenya and other female athletes with DSD should be considered “biological males” World Athletics told CAS.

Switzerland’s Supreme Court rejected Semenya’s appeal in September 2020. She filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights in February 2021.

While Semenya fell short in her bid to reach the Olympic 200-meter qualifying standard last year, the success of other intersex athletes has raised further questions about the World Athletics policy.

Britain’s Jake Wightman stunned the Olympic champion, the defending world champion and himself at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 running the race of his life to take the 1500m title

Britain’s Jake Wightman stunned the world on Tuesday night. Winding up to a world-leading PB of 3:29.23, the 28-year-old European and Commonwealth bronze medallist left Jakob Ingebrigtsen with no response as he surged down the home straight, eyes fixed firmly ahead. As the finish line neared, the Briton first raised his arms wide and then threw his hands to his head in disbelief, Norway’s Olympic champion Ingebrigtsen following him home in 3:29.47 and Spain’s Mohamed Katir coming through for bronze in 3:29.90.

“That’s my son,” came the voice over the loudspeaker, the race having been called by in-stadium announcer Geoff Wightman – father and coach of the winner, “and he’s the world champion.”

Left disappointed after a 10th-place finish at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Jake Wightman went back to work. He focused on building his strength over the winter, returning to some cross country racing and doing over-distance work as he refocused on Oregon.

Achieving his aim of staying under the radar through the rounds, he took his place on the Hayward Field start line with Ingebrigtsen to his left and Katir to his right. Kenya’s Abel Kipsang, who had the season’s quickest time going into the race, went straight to the front and led from Ingebrigtsen and Kenya’s defending champion Timothy Cheruiyot, with Wightman sitting in behind them. Ingebrigtsen, who broke the world indoor 1500m record with 3:30.60 in February, moved to the front with two laps to go, with Kipsang and Cheruiyot on his shoulder and Wightman tracking their every move.

At the bell it was Ingebrigtsen, Cheruiyot and Wightman, with Kipsang running wide on his shoulder. Judging the race to perfection, the Briton first surged past Cheruiyot, moving into the lead ahead of Ingebrigtsen with just over 200m to go.

As he left the bend, the anticipated kick from Ingebrigtsen never came. Glancing over his shoulder, the Norwegian looked like he knew he was beaten and settled for silver, followed by Katir and his Spanish teammate Mario Garcia, running a PB of 3:30.20 for fourth.

Wightman’s British compatriot Josh Kerr – the Olympic 1500m bronze medallist – finished fifth in 3:30.60, just ahead of Cheruiyot (3:30.69) and Kipsang (3:31.21).

“It probably won’t sink in until I have retired,” said Wightman, who has run 1:44.18 for 800m and clocked a 3000m PB of 7:37.81 indoors in February. “It’s mad. I had such a disappointing year in Tokyo last year. I don’t think people realise how crushing it was to go in with such high expectations and come away hoping for a medal but ending up 10th.”

His parents – both former elite marathon runners – were at Hayward Field to see him win, his father on the commentary mic and his mother, Susan, in the stands.

“Dad can be a bit of a robot on the mic sometimes,” smiled Wightman junior, whose time in Oregon is the third-quickest in World Championships history. “Some say robot, some say professional. I hope he broke that down today. My mum was in tears, so someone was crying.”

Reflecting on the race, he added: “The strength for me is that if I can get there with 200m to go, I will always make a move because it’s how I feel best running. As soon as the opportunity was there to go past, I just wanted to be leading the bend. The only perk of having a good 800m PB in races like that is if you are still there with 200m to go, which I haven’t managed to be in previous years.

“Even when I was coming down the home straight I felt strong, but Jakob is a beast and I never knew if he was going to come past.”

But he didn’t. Wightman's last lap was timed at 54.84, Ingebrigtsen’s was 55.24. In Tokyo, the Norwegian clocked 54.42 for the final 400m.

“I was feeling good, but I couldn't keep up with Jake in the last 200m,” said Ingebrigtsen. “I'm owning it. I am very disappointed by not winning, but I'm very happy for him. He is a great runner.”

He will now refocus on the 5000m, the heats for which take place on Thursday.

It was the 5000m that Katir contested at last year’s Olympics, the 24-year-old finishing eighth, but after setting national records at 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and 10km last year his decision to race the shorter event in Oregon paid off as he bagged the bronze with his second-fastest ever time.

Just behind him was European U23 silver medallist and NCAA runner-up Garcia, who runs for the University of Mississippi and achieved the fastest ever time by a collegiate athlete.

Cheruiyot has been some way off his best form this season and although making his presence felt in the early stages, he didn’t have the strength in the finish and faded out of medal contention.

Ethiopia’s Samuel Tefera won the world indoor title ahead of Ingebrigtsen and Kipsang in Belgrade in March but finished ninth in his semifinal in Oregon, missing out on the final.

Brazil's Dos Santos wins world 400m hurdles as Warholm wilts

Brazil's Alison Dos Santos ran the third fastest time of all time to win the world 400m hurdles on Tuesday as Norwegian prodigy Karsten Warholm wilted at Hayward Field.

Dos Santos clocked a championship record of 46.29 seconds, finishing ahead of Americans Rai Benjamin and Trevor Bassitt, who finished in 46.89 and 47.39sec respectively.

Olympic champion and world record holder Warholm led coming into the home straight but seized up badly and eventually came in seventh (48.42).

Warholm last lost a 400m hurdles race in September 2018 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Since then, he had notched up a winning streak of 18 races and another four qualifying races in the 2019 world championships and 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Warholm laid down a performance that is widely considered one of the greatest Olympic track performances of all time when he smashed the 29-year-old world record to win the 400m hurdles at the Tokyo Games in a time of 45.94sec.

But the 26-year-old pulled up injured at the Diamond League meet in Rabat in early June with a "muscle fiber tear" in a hamstring and although insisting he was at 100% going into the race, he missed his usual gas over the final 80 meters.

This 33-year-old steeplechase specialist had a bumpy four years until placing sixth at the World Athletics Championships on July 18

If you told Evan Jager in April that he would place sixth in the World Athletics Championships men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in just a few months, he would have been ecstatic. 

After all, the 2016 Olympic silver medalisthad only ran 8:34.89 at the Mt. SAC Relays on April 14, which is almost 13 seconds off the world’s standard time of 8:22.00. Though Jager had better steeplechase showings at the USATF Distance Classic on May 19 and the Portland Track Festival on June 10, it looked like the 33-year-old distance runner was still a far from being his former self. 

Things finally clicked at the USATF Outdoor Championships on June 25, when he ran 8:17.25 in the final to place second, earning him the world championships standard and a spot on Team USA for the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. 

“Once you reach a certain point, you’ve got to set the bar higher,” Jager told Runner’s World.“I probably didn’t start thinking about realistically making the World Championship final until the prelim at USAs, I felt really good coming off of that.”

With momentum on his side, Jager’s expectations grew. The Bowerman Track Club athlete looked strong in his world championships preliminary heat, qualifying automatically for the final with his second-place finish. But in a tactical and physical final, Jager couldn’t keep up with defending Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali, Olympic silver medalist Lamecha Girma, and defending world champion Conseslus Kipruto over the final lap. 

“After the prelim, I felt like my fitness was up there with just about anyone besides El Bakkali and Girma if it was a hard race from the get-go,” Jager said. “Team USA was having such an unbelievable and magical meet that I was letting myself believe that I could let the home crowd carry me to a magical performance. I think I probably would have fared better in a faster race.”

Regardless, the achievement is impressive for a runner who has been absent from the track & field circuit for the last four years. A lot has changed, especially with his training group. In 2018, Jager and Canadian 5,000- and 10,000-meter runner Mo Ahmed were the top dogs on the Bowerman Track Club, challenging the best in the world for medals. But Jager got hurt that year, and spent most of 2019 trying to get fit again while dealing with other injuries. When Jager returned to training, the team dynamic changed completely. Olympic gold medalist Matthew Centrowitz joined the group, who along with Woody Kincaid and Lopez Lomong all ran around 13 minutes in the 5,000 meters that summer. Then, NCAA champions Sean McGorty and Grant Fisher trickled in after using up their eligibility.

“I went from being on top … to being literally the worst guy on the team,” said Jager. “Every day was a grind.” Jager tried to keep up with the new members while also battling injuries, but had a hard time getting through even half of team workouts. “They were just on another level. I never felt like I was within myself in training for three and a half years up until this spring.” 

So what changed in those three and a half years? Jager credits the team physical therapist, Colleen Little, who started working with Bowerman in January 2021. His problem wasn’t simply one big injury, like the stress fracture in his foot that ended his 2018 season. It was a snowball effect of one injury leading to overcompensation and imbalances in other parts of his body. So Jager and Little saw each other once or twice a week, every week, to manage the different aches and pains.

Next year will bring even more changes for Jager. His coach, Jerry Schumacher, is moving to Eugene to take the helm of the University of Oregon track & field program. The Bowerman Track Club’s athletes will relocate from their current base in Portland.

“I think it’s an incredible move for the group,” Jager said. “Change is always good. I’ve been in Portland for 14 years now, so it’s probably a good thing for me.”

Besides that, Jager said being stubborn kept him in the game. “I could have done a lot better being positive and working on mental health [the last few years],” he said. “I just believed that if I got healthy, I would get back here. If I can get to the final off of feeling healthy for four months, then I’m excited for next year.”

Gold again for Faith Kipyegon as she wins 1500m in Oregon

Faith Kipyegon’s supporters were so confident she would win the women’s 1500m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 that they put the Kenyan in an uncomfortable position.

“I was facing a lot of pressure,” said Kipyegon, the two-time Olympic champion in the 1500m. “Everybody was expecting something special from me. Everybody was like, ‘Faith, we believe in Faith,’ so it was a real pressure. But I managed it.”

In other words, their Faith was not misplaced.

With her trademark kick, Kipyegon regained the world title on Monday (18) that she first won in 2017. She claimed an unprecedented fourth medal in the event. And Kipyegon indeed did something special, clocking 3:52.96, the second-fastest time on US soil after her own 3:52.59 at the Prefontaine Classic in late May on the same Hayward Field track.

After crossing the finish line, Kipyegon, 28, kissed the track and blew kisses to the crowd on ‘Women in the Spotlight’ day.

The fast-paced race saw Kipyegon and three other runners quickly leave the rest of the field behind with a first lap in just under 59 seconds.

“I’m so grateful to have won the gold medal,” Kipyegon said. “This was my big target. I did do it. I was really looking forward to this championship. I was really, really prepared for this race.”

World indoor champion Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia was with her nearly every step until Kipyegon pulled away with about 300 meters to go. Tsegay took the silver in 3:54.52, upgrading from the bronze she won in 2019. She was also just a bit slower than she was at the Pre Classic, where she ran 3:54.21.

“I was expecting more from this race, but my opponents were more experienced and lucky so I have to be grateful for the silver,” said Tsegay, 25, who also will run the 5000m later in the week.

Great Britain’s Laura Muir, in her fifth World Championships final, at last secured a medal, claiming the bronze with a season’s best of 3:55.28. Muir, 29, finished six seconds ahead of Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu, the largest gap in World Championships history between third and fourth.

Sofia Ennaoui of Poland ran a season best of 4:01.43 for fifth. The US placed two runners in the top 10: national champion Sinclaire Johnson was sixth, clocking 4:01:63, while Cory McGee was 10th with a time of 4:03.70.

The third Ethiopian runner, Hirut Meshesha was 12th in 4:05.86 after helping Tsegay push the pace for the first half of the race.

“To tell you the truth, I knew the Ethiopian lady was going to be fast,” Kipyegon said. “I knew she was a front-runner, and we ran really quick and I thank God I won.”

While the two Ethiopians controlled the early part of the race, Kipyegon stayed on their heels. Muir also clung to the lead group. “To be honest, I didn’t look at the clock at all the whole race,” she said. “After the first couple of hundred meters, I knew this was very, very fast. I thought it’s not going to help to look at the clock right now; it’s probably better not to look.

"For me, it’s all about racing. It’s not about times. I’m really pleased I stuck with it and went with them and it paid off.”

Kipyegon has placed first or second in every major championship since 2015. Three years ago, she was coming off maternity leave after having her daughter and placed second behind Sifan Hassan, whose 3:51.95 is the championship record. Kipyegon also earned a silver in 2015.

Hassan decided not to contest the 1500m this year.

After Kipyegon won her second straight Olympic gold medal, Muir called her “the greatest of all time.”

“I can say thank you so much,” Kipyegon said at the post-race press conference in Oregon, with Muir at her side. “I’m really grateful; she is really a nice lady. Before the race, I talked with her and I wish her all the best. Laura, let’s continue like this. This is the spirit of sports.”

Kipyegon added that she was happy that Muir, the Olympic 1500m silver medallist, won her first World Championships medal.

“She has been really fighting since 2017 in London and also in 2019 in Doha,” Kipyegon said.

The Kenyan said she will skip the upcoming Commonwealth Games and prepare for the Diamond League meeting in Monaco.

She wouldn’t speculate about possibly breaking the world record. “I can’t talk about it right now,” Kipyegon said. “Let me focus myself and see what is possible. I will be trying my best to lower my personal best and to run a good race.”

In the meantime, she will spend time with her daughter. “She is everything to me,” Kipyegon said.

Record-breaker Fraser-Pryce wins her fifth world 100m title in Oregon

It might be a familiar sight – witnessing Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce flowing towards the finish line on her way to yet another global gold – but the awe it inspires doesn’t diminish.

In front of a packed passionate Hayward Field crowd on day three of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, the Jamaican sprint star secured a record-extending fifth world 100m title, leading a Jamaican sweep of the medals in a championship record of 10.67 (0.8m/s).

It's almost 14 years since her first global title – 100m gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics – but Fraser-Pryce continues to make history. With her run in Oregon on Sunday (17), the 35-year-old becomes the first athlete to win five world titles in a single individual running event, leading the first ever sweep of the medals in this discipline at the World Championships.

Behind her, Shericka Jackson continued to demonstrate her impressive versatility, running a PB of 10.73 to add world 100m silver to the two 400m bronze medals she won in 2015 and 2019, while five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah claimed her first world 100m medal with a 10.81 run.

In the deepest ever women’s World Championships 100m final, seven of the eight finalists dipped under 11 seconds, with best ever marks for fourth, sixth and seventh. In fourth was Britain’s reigning world 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith, who equalled her British record of 10.83. Switzerland’s world indoor 60m champion Mujinga Kambundji finished fifth in 10.91, while USA’s Aleia Hobbs was sixth in 10.92, Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou seventh in 10.93 and USA’s Melissa Jefferson eighth in 11.03.

Fraser-Pryce sits third on the world 100m all-time list with the 10.60 she ran in Lausanne last August, putting her behind only USA’s Florence Griffith-Joyner with her 10.49 world record from 1988 and Thompson-Herah with her 10.54 at Hayward Field almost a year ago. On Sunday evening it was all about the win, though the fierce competition meant it took a championship record to achieve it.

Showing superb consistency, it is Fraser-Pryce’s third 10.67 of the season, each mark having been achieved in a different continent.

She is now a 20-time global medallist – with 13 of those being gold – and she has the chance to add even more to that tally in Oregon as she is also entered for the 200m and 4x100m.

The first of Fraser-Pryce’s world 100m title wins came in Berlin in 2009, when she ran 10.73 as the Olympic champion to lead a Jamaican top two ahead of Kerron Stewart. She then claimed a sprint double in Moscow in 2013, regaining her 100m title and winning her first global 200m gold. She retained her world 100m title in Beijing two years later and returned to World Championships action in Doha in 2019 as a mother – her son Zyon arrived in 2017, with Fraser-Pryce having gone into labour while watching the world 100m final that year. In Doha she won 100m gold for the fourth time and again formed part of the victorious Jamaican 4x100m team to claim her fourth world relay win.

Added to this, Fraser-Pryce secured world 4x100m silver medals in 2007 and 2011 and then of course there are her three Olympic titles, four Olympic silver medals and one Olympic bronze.

The first to achieve five world titles in a single individual running event, only three other athletes in World Championships history – Sergey Bubka (pole vault), Pawel Fajdek (hammer) and Lars Riedel (discus) – have also won the same single disciple five or more times.

"I feel blessed to have this talent and to continue to do it at 35, (after) having a baby, still going, and hopefully inspiring women that they can make their own journey," added Fraser-Pryce.

Now she will prepare for the 200m, for which the heats take place on Monday. Jackson, Thompson-Herah, Asher-Smith, Kambundji and Ta Lou will be among those joining her.

“I'm just grateful. Last year when I switched to the 100m I was scared, but I took my time and here I am today," said Jackson, who improved her 200m PB to 21.55 – the third-fastest ever time behind Griffith-Joyner’s 21.34 world record and Thompson-Herah’s 21.53 from Tokyo last year – when winning the Jamaican title. "Feeling good to be part of history and coming for more."

After her four individual Olympic gold medal wins, Thompson-Herah remains on the hunt for her first individual world title.

"I'm happy to get my first 100m medal and be on the podium for the first time," she said. "I've been working really hard, even though I had some struggles during the season."

The Jamaican trio had led the way in the semifinals, Thompson-Herah winning her race in 10.82 and Jackson taking hers in 10.84, while Fraser-Pryce eased to a 10.93 win in the third semifinal.

Asher-Smith went quickest in the heats the day before, running 10.84 for the second-fastest 100m heat time in World Championships history, just 0.01 off her own British record achieved when claiming silver in Doha. Fraser-Pryce won her heat in 10.87. The Oceania record also fell, New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs advancing to the semifinals with 11.08.

"I can't even imagine the amount of times I've had setbacks and I've bounced back and I'm here again," said Fraser-Pryce. "I continue to remind myself that sometimes it's not because you don't have the ability, but it's the right time. Today was the right time."

Cheptegei leaves rivals with no response to retain world 10,000m title in Oregon

Just like the Olympic final in Tokyo, there was a mass queue of runners still in contention as the bell sounded in the men’s 10,000m final at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.

On that occasion there were seven men remaining in the hunt for gold. This time there were eight.

There was another subtle difference as the 25-lap event built up to just as thrilling a crescendo as the women’s final the previous day. 

In Tokyo the slender Ethiopian Selemon Barega refused to budge from the front, keeping ahead of Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei with a 53.9 final lap.

In Eugene, having controlled most of the race from halfway, Cheptegei hit the front again at the sound of the bell and stayed there. The fastest man in history at 5000m and 10,000m was not going to relinquish the title he toiled to gain in Doha three years ago.

Barega moved on to his shoulder down the back straight and looked set to pounce with 200m to go, but as Cheptegei led round the final bend and into the finishing stretch the world indoor 3000m champion had nothing in the tank.

Like Sifan Hassan in the women’s final, Barega faded out of the medals. Like Barega’s compatriot Letesenbet Gidey, Cheptegei gritted his teeth and kept his feet on the gas. The 25-year-old could afford to open his arms in celebration as he crossed the line 0.47 clear of his closest pursuer in 27:27.43.

In doing so, Cheptegei became only the fourth man to win back to back 10,000m world titles, following in the footsteps of Ethiopians Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele and Britain’s Mo Farah. His final lap was faster than Barega’s in Tokyo: 53.42.

"I knew that if I could get into the last fight, I could control it and I could speed it up," said Cheptegei, who won the world U20 title back at Hayward Field eight years ago. "It was very emotional for me to come back to the USA where I started my international career in 2014. Now, I want to continue my dominance in long distance running and I hope I will manage it."

The surprise silver medal winner, in 27:27.90, was Stanley Mburu. The world U20 silver medallist at 5000m in 2018, the 22-year-old Kenyan had quickly regained his composure after falling on the opening lap.

As in the Olympic final, Jacob Kiplimo took the bronze medal, Cheptegei’s compatriot clocking 27:27.97 to resist the challenge of home favourite Grant Fisher. The spirited US challenger had to settle for fourth in 27: 28.14, with Barega fifth in 27:28.39.

There were Ugandan flags fluttering in the stands as the 24 runners took their place on the start line, the loudest cheer coming for Fisher, who settled into second as Spain’s Carlos Mayo led through 400m in 66.70.

Mayo remained in front through 800m in 2:12.72, 1km in 2:46 and 2km in 5:51, with Fisher maintaining in second spot and Cheptegei keeping a watching brief on proceedings in third.

After Mayo passed 3km in 8:20.08, Cheptegei’s teammate Stephen Kissa took over at the front but without upping the pace.

Indeed, the speed slowed to 2:51 for the fourth kilometre, prompting Barega to show his face at the front for the first time with 13 laps to go, reaching halfway in 14.01.32.

Kiplimo was first to make a notable injection of pace, stretching out the field with a 64.46 lap. When Cheptegei moved through on to his compatriot’s heels, Barega was alert to the potential threat, surging back up into third.

Cheptegei then took over at the front but slowed the pace to steady laps of 67 seconds. All the while, Barega breezed along, eyes fixed on the target on Cheptegei’s back as 15 men remained in contention. 

With two laps to go, Mburu made the long run for home but at the bell there were still eight contenders. It was then, after a fleeing appearance at the front by Barega’s teammate Berihu Aregawi, that Cheptegei regained control – this time for good.

Lawrence Cherono of Kenya suspended after testing positive for trimetazidine

The seventh-fastest marathoner of all time, Kenya’s Lawrence Cherono, who was one of the favourites to win the marathon at the 2022 World Championships, has been provisionally suspended on the day before the race after testing positive for a banned substance. Cherono tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, which is used to treat chest pain resulting from a lack of blood supply and oxygen to the heart. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said in a press release that there were delays in the processing of his test sample, which was taken on May 23. The delay made it impossible for another athlete to take his spot on Team Kenya.The drug trimetazidine helps metabolize fatty acids, which helps your body use oxygen, allowing for more blood flow to your heart and limits quick changes in your blood pressure.The 33-year-old Kenyan finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics and won both Boston and the Chicago Marathon in 2019. Cherono has a personal best time of 2:03:04 from the 2020 Valencia Marathon, where he finished second.Back-to-back NCAA champion and U.S. 400m Olympian Randolph Ross was also kicked out from the World Athletics Championships on the day before his race for tampering with the antidoping process after an unsuccessful testing attempt on June 18. 

The AIU announced on Saturday that Ross will be provisionally suspended a month after officials failed to locate him to take an anti-doping test. Ross won the Olympic gold with the U.S. 4x400m relay team in Tokyo.According to the AIU, athletes must give anti-doping authorities detailed lists of where they’ll be so testers can reach them without notice to collect samples when the athletes are not competing. In some cases, three missed tries can result in an anti-doping violation. AIU did not release the specifics of Ross’ case, other than to say that “the allegation arises out of the athlete’s conduct during an investigation into a potential whereabouts violation.”

The 2022 World Athletics Championships are taking place from July 15-25 from Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. All the action will be brought to you by Canadian Running and Asics Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.efore the race after testing positive for a banned substance. 

Dominican Republic overhauls host nation to take mixed 4x400m gold in Oregon

Had the race been 10 metres shorter, it may have gone in the USA’s favour. 10 metres longer and perhaps the Netherlands would be the champions. But Dominican Republic timed their efforts to perfection in winning the mixed 4x400m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, catching the USA just before the line and holding off a fast-finishing Dutch team.

Over the past 12 months, four teams in particular have dominated this discipline. The same teams that occupied the top four spots at the Olympic Games last year were once again in the medal hunt here at Hayward Field, only the finishing order was different.

This time, the Dominican Republic – a nation of just 10.8 million people – defeated some of the superpowers of the sport, clocking the second-fastest time in history, 3:09.82.

Elija Godwin got the host nation off to a strong start, covering the first lap in 44.71 – a full second quicker than the next-best lead-leg runner – and handed over to Allyson Felix with a significant lead, prompting the loudest cheer of the day from the home crowd. By the time the legendary US sprinter was half way around the track, she had a lead of about 15 metres on her rivals.

But Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino, who took silver just ahead of Felix in the individual 400m in Tokyo last year, came charging around the final bend and made up the significant gap on the 2015 world 400m champion, catching her just before the line to put Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando in the lead.

Paulino’s split was later confirmed at 48.47. Felix, timed at 50.15 for her leg, handed over to teammate Vernon Norwood. Lieke Klaver, meanwhile, ran a 49.32 split to put the Netherlands back into contention. Further behind, Jamaica and Olympic champions Poland were trying to chase the top three but struggling to make any impact.

Norwood clocked a 44.40 split – the fastest of the race – to put the USA back in the lead going into the final leg. But Ogando (45.12) and Dutch 800m specialist Tony van Diepen (45.13) ran solid legs to keep their teams in contention.

Vernon Norwood and Alexander Ogando in the mixed 4x400m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (© Getty Images)

US anchor leg runner Kennedy Simon went out hard on the final leg and opened up a significant gap on Fiordaliza Cofil of the Dominican Republic and Olympic 400m hurdles bronze medallist Femke Bol of the Netherlands. At one point it seemed as though Simon’s lead would be safe, but Cofil started to gain on the US anchor on the home straight, while a long-striding Bol had both runners in her sights.

The home crowd did their best to support Simon in the closing stages, but her early exuberance proved costly and Cofil caught her just a few metres before the line, securing gold for the Dominican Republic in 3:09.82 – the second-fastest time in history and just half a second shy of USA’s world record from the 2019 World Championships. A split second later, Bol then came charging through to also pass Simon, giving Netherlands the silver medal in 3:09.90 ahead of the USA (3:10.16).

Poland, triumphant in Tokyo 12 months ago, this time finished outside the medals in fourth with 3:12.31, just ahead of Jamaica (3:12.71). Nigeria (3:16.21), Italy (3:16.45) and Ireland (3:16.86) rounded out the finalists.

It was Dominican Republic’s third gold medal in World Championships history, behind the two titles won by 400m hurdler Felix Sanchez.

“We are a small country, but we have a big heart,” said Dominican Republic’s lead leg runner Lidio Andres Felix.

“We did a great job as a team and I hope we can achieve another good result in Paris (2024),” added Paulino. “The Dominican Republic has a lot of talent, not just in baseball. I have a lot of admiration for Allyson Felix; we ran together in the Tokyo Olympic final.”

And while it may not have been the result the host nation was looking for, Felix still made history by winning a record 19th World Championships medal. She also broke records for the number of World Championships at which she has won a medal (eight) and for the longest span of medal-winning years (17).

“It was very special to be able to run in front of a home crowd for my last race, and my daughter was also in the stands,” said Felix. “It was a night I will cherish. I've had such good memories. I know it is time and these guys will carry it on into the future. I am at peace stepping into this next stage and have tremendous gratitude for this sport.”

Allyson Felix wins her 19th World Championships medal, the most of any athlete in history

Allyson Felix made it very clear that this was her final year of competition. She’s accomplished basically everything there is to accomplish and now she’s on her farewell tour. After the U.S. won a bronze medal in the mixed-gender 4×400-meter relay tonight at the World Championships, Felix was asked about her favorite moment over her career—a career that’s spanned over two decades, five Olympic Games, and countless other accomplishments. She said, “I’ll go with tonight.” She’s cherishing the end. “To be able to come here in front of a home crowd is something I’ve always wanted.” 

Her daughter was in the stands. Her husband was in the stands. And it’s as though the rest of the people in Hayward Field were her family. It’s like she’s the only person who matters. She’s the homecoming queen, the poster girl, the best dressed person at the party. If you were blindfolded and you had to guess when Felix got the baton by just using your ears, it wouldn’t be very hard. 

“There was a moment when I could hear all the cheers. I felt joy tonight,” she said. “I just looked around. I was just taking it in. It’s the last time.” 

Despite losing, Felix’s teammates were gracious. The media didn’t ask any of them about their personal races, their personal stories, only Felix. The man with the fastest split of anybody in the race, Vernon Norwood, said, “This bronze medal feels like it’s a gold medal since it’s her last.” Teammate Elija Godwin, the second fastest split in the race, said, “It feels like we’re part of history to be with her. I really just want my picture with her.” Norwood and Godwin were the only two men to split under 45 seconds in the field.  

Everybody thought the Americans would win. They were the fastest team in the preliminary round earlier today and they traded out two of their athletes for others with faster PRs. They led or were in touch of the lead the entire race. They got to compete at a World Championships on home soil for the first time ever. But in the end they fumbled. It was as though it happened all at once: With 20 meters remaining, Team USA’s anchor leg Kennedy Simon visibly grimaced, gritted her teeth, and everybody knew what was going to happen. She tied up and it was like she was moving backward. Two teams got around her. The crowd collectively gasped, went silent for a few moments, then sat back down while the team from the Dominican Republic ran a victory lap.

Team USA’s bronze medal is Felix’s 19th medal at a World Championships, the most of any athlete in history. She’s now won a medal at eight separate World Championships, which is a record. (She used to share it with Ezekiel Kemboi of Kenya with seven.) 

The Dominican Republic won the race in 3:09.82, the second fastest time ever. With a very fast anchor leg (48.95) from the Olympic medalist Femke Bol, the Netherlands finished second in 3:09.90, a national record. The U.S. finished third in 3:10.16. 

Felix got the baton in first and was 50 meters off the front and everybody was on their feet cheering for her. Today was the closest Hayward Field has ever been to maximum capacity and the volume of the crowd felt historic. It was her final lap, and she was running strong. Then the daydream ended. Halfway through the lap, the Dominican Republic’s second leg, Marileidy Paulino, had reeled in Felix. She blew around her on the final straight, splitting 48.47, the fastest leg of any woman in the field. Paulino’s split would be the second fastest time in the world this year if it were run in an open event. 

Felix still split 50.15. She said she was proud. Her daughter is too young to register what she witnessed, but Felix said if tonight could teach her something it’d be that “It’s about being a fighter,” she said. “That’s a spirit I hope she carries over, a confidence I hope she has.”

The other woman on Team USA is 14 years younger than Felix and will probably never forget what she was a part of. Simon is only 22 and this was her first major championship race. She’s still in college at the University of Texas, a world apart from where Felix is now. “This whole season was a gradual progression to me getting here,” she said. “For me to be here… I’m satisfied.” 

It appeared like the Americans lost the race in the anchor leg. Earlier in the day Kennedy ran the preliminary round and split 50.64, the second fastest split of any woman in the race. She had roughly eight hours to rest before the gun fired a second time, but appeared tired in the final. 

It’s hard to show up once. It’s harder to show up twice. It’s even harder, still, to show up like Allyson Felix has, time and time again. 

Visa delays end British marathoner's hopes of competing at Worlds

U.K. Athletics has confirmed that Chris Thompson, a 2:10-marathoner from Team GB, will not compete in the World Athletics Championships men’s marathon this Sunday after a significant delay in the processing of his U.S. visa.According to the UKA press release, Thompson had been in close liaison with World Athletics and received some help from the U.K. government to solve a last-minute visa hold-up, however, due to the proximity of Sunday’s marathon, Thompson is unable to travel and compete.

“We are very sad for Chris that he has been unable to travel to Eugene for the World Athletics Championships. We are grateful for the interventions and assistance of World Athletics in attempting to resolve the matter, but time has unfortunately run out,” said Team G.B. Leader, Paula Dunn.

The 41-year-old marathoner was selected to represent Team GB after running a personal best 2:10:21 at the British Marathon Championships in 2021. Last year, Thompson placed 54th at the Tokyo Olympic Marathon in a time of 2:21:29.“I’m absolutely devastated I won’t be in Eugene to compete,” said Thompson in a statement. “This was my major aim for the year and had prepared well for it. I’ll never know what might have been, but I had high expectations of myself going out. It should never have got to this point, and it’s hard to believe it has.” U.S. visa delays have been a common theme at the 2022 World Championships, which has derailed many international athletes’ hopes of competing here in Oregon.

The 2022 World Athletics Championships begin Friday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. All the action in Eugene will be brought to you by Canadian Running and Asics Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.

Visa issues cause headaches for hundreds of athletes and officials at track world championships

100-meter sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala is expected to land in Oregon about three hours before his first heat Friday

Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala is one of the fastest men in the world at 100 meters, the rare African sprinter who could medal this weekend at the 2022 track and field world championships in Oregon.

But first, he has to make it there – and that's proven to be anything but simple.

Omanyala is one of the hundreds of international athletes and officials who have encountered visa issues ahead of the world championships at Hayward Field, leaving them frustrated, frazzled and, in many cases, racing just to make it to the start line.

The issues appear to stem from poor communication, applications being filed too late and general backlogs at U.S. embassies, where athletes must schedule an appointment and interview in order to obtain a temporary visa.

"This is ridiculous!" retired U.S. sprinting star Michael Johnson wrote on Twitter. "It’s been known US entry visa may be one of the most difficult and (World Athletics) and the organizing committee didn’t get ahead of this?"

World Athletics spokesperson Nicole Jeffery told USA TODAY Sports in an email that, as of Thursday, 374 visa cases involving athletes or officials had been flagged to a joint committee consisting of local organizers, World Athletics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, who have worked to help speed up the process.

About 73% of the cases have been resolved, Jeffery added, leaving a little less than 100 still in various stages of the process.

"We continue to follow up with those outstanding visa issues," World Athletics said in a statement. "International travel in general has become more challenging due to the pandemic and we are extremely grateful for the help and experience of the USOPC in helping to resolve issues that have come up in Omanyala, who has recorded the third-fastest time in the 100 this year, is perhaps the most high-profile athlete who has been impacted. His manager, Marcél Viljoen, told USA TODAY Sports that the 26-year-old has been "frustrated and disappointed" while working to obtain his visa, which he finally did Thursday morning in Kenya.

Viljoen said Omayala is now scheduled to arrive in Eugene, Oregon about three hours before his first heat Friday.

"I want to thank everybody who has worked around the clock to ensure I get my visa," Omanyala told the BBC.

"There's nobody to blame here. It's the system, how it works. You cannot force anything."

Nearly a dozen athletes from South Africa have also encountered visa issues, according to South African media outlet Independent Online, as have athletes from India, Iran and Jamaica, among others.

"Missed out on representing Libya at Worlds because my Federation couldn’t get visas," sprinter Ahmed Amaar wrote on Twitter on Monday. "Representation matters and with no support from (World Athletics) there can be no development for smaller Nations."

Inocencio added that he was surprised to encounter logistical issues like this given the United States' size and reputation. He hopes it might serve as a learning moment before the nation hosts the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

In the meantime, athletes whose travel plans have been disrupted – but not completely derailed – by visa delays can only try to make the best of a stressful situation. 

"We (are) finally going, although some of us are going to arrive on the day we racing," South African sprinter Gift Leotlela wrote on Instagram. "We will fight and represent our country with Pride and honour."

Galen Rupp fueled by family time as he prepares for marathon at World Athletic Championships

It’s been nine months since Galen Rupp ran his last full marathon.

He contemplated running another this spring after finishing the Chicago Marathon last October, but decided against it to avoid tiring himself out ahead of the summer.

Now, as he trains for the 2022 World Athletics Championships, he’s been replicating the effects a marathon has on his body. That includes going on long, painful runs no matter how tired he is.

But Rupp is always able to get through it because he knows what’s waiting for him at home once he’s finished: a sit-down dinner with his wife and kids.

It doesn’t matter if his training went well or not, Rupp said. When he gets home and his kids come running to hug him, whatever happened that day doesn’t matter compared with what’s in front of him.

“I get a lot of strength from being around them,” Rupp said. “Mentally, I’m in the best place possible when I’m in their presence.”

That helps fuel Rupp, 36, as he’s running competitively, knowing his family is in the stands or along the route. They’ll only need to make a two-hour drive south to Eugene for this year’s world championships, which run July 15-24 and are being held in the United States for the first time.

Friends, family and fans of Rupp have always turned out to watch him race, from his time at Central Catholic High School in Portland all the way to the Olympics.

Rupp is no stranger to competing at Hayward Field. He ran with the Ducks’ cross country and track teams from 2004-09 and holds multiple school records. The team’s website refers to him as “one of the greatest distance runners in UO history.”

His days competing in Eugene didn’t end once he joined the professional ranks. He frequently has been in town for the Olympic trials or the Eugene Marathon. Memories from Eugene that stick out for Rupp include setting the American record in 10,000 meters at the 2014 Prefontaine Classic and making his first Olympic team in 2008.

"There’s always a buzz around the city and stadium when there’s a big meet in town,” Rupp said. “There’s really nothing like it.”

Rupp’s training process changed slightly since he started working with a new coach, Northern Arizona University’s Michael Smith, in 2020. With Smith based in Arizona, he relies on Rupp sending videos of his workouts, taken by his wife, to provide tips and advice.

The two keep up a steady stream of communication via text, and Rupp said he appreciates Smith’s willingness to tell him to try different things and new workouts.

“He’s not scared to challenge me,” Rupp said. “The biggest growth comes when you start trying new things and doing some different things in training.”

All that training, which Rupp said amounts to a full-time job, has kept him busy over the last few months. Outside of spending time with his kids, which usually means fishing for trout, he’s had to stay off his feet in his free time.

With the downtime he has, Rupp tries to keep up with UO athletics. He’s particularly excited for Oregon’s new football coach, Dan Lanning, and the Ducks’ season opener against Georgia in September.

“I’m pumped for Dan Lanning, excited to see what the team’s going to look like under him,” Rupp said.

Rupp said he hasn’t given much thought to what he’ll do once his running career wraps up. The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are on his radar, but he stressed that making Team USA at the trials is difficult, so he doesn’t want to make any hasty assumptions.

Going into coaching has crossed his mind a few times, but he doesn’t dwell on those thoughts to avoid letting them become a distraction. For now, he’s focused on the next race.

“I still feel like I’ve got a lot of years left for sure,” Rupp said. “I want to keep putting all my energy into that for the time being.”